MPs warn government about Chinese influence on international tech standards

China and Russia are attempting to make the UK a 'rule-taker, not rule-maker'

Threat groups from countries like Russia and China are attempting to exert their influence over global tech standards - and the response of the UK Government to this challenge has been 'incoherent and muted'.

That is the conclusion by a new report from the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, which expressed concern about the level of force China is demonstrating in international standards bodies.

The authors say it is vital that the UK Government works with nation state allies and the tech industry to prevent a future where rights-based and human-centred technology standards are not the norm.

'Despite the Chinese government's explicit strategy for exporting and embedding its own authoritarian principles of technology governance across the world, the Government's response has so far been incoherent and muted,' the report says.

'The Government now needs to extend the UK's influence within the global technology landscape, to ensure that future technologies are developed and used in ways that align with our values and, crucially, uphold the rights and freedoms of people in the UK and across the world.'

While China, the USA and the EU are all developing strategies for technology regulation, the UK has only had 'limited' engagement in conversations between the US and EU.

China is moving to become the de facto standard-setter for certain technologies. For example, the country submitted about 90% of the standards proposals for surveillance technology to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) between 2016 and 2019.

In another example, a small group of solely Chinese-owned businesses were involved in the development of the ITU's rules around facial recognition.

The report recommends the Government should clearly articulate its stance on data sharing, privacy and private-sector regulation to establish a foundation for discussions on deeper cooperation with the US and EU.

If nothing is done, the authors fear that the UK would 'become a rule-taker rather than a rule-maker,' with the nation's expertise absent during significant discussions (anyone who didn't see this future as a direct result of Brexit was kidding themselves - Ed.).

The Foreign Affairs Committee has also urged the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to conduct a comprehensive review of how it works with the UK's allies to prevent hostile foreign powers from stealing knowledge and intellectual property.

'Failure to adapt will have devastating consequences for our security, prosperity and global influence,' it warned.

Commenting on the report's findings and recommendations, Simon Randall, CEO of video privacy and security company, Pimloc, said: "The British Government's ability to protect its citizens' privacy is at risk. The ITU sets the rules of the internet. These may change in a way that makes it hard to keep the internet open, and keep citizens safe.

"Even while the Government's leadership is in flux, it is important that critical matters such as protecting privacy at the fundamental level are protected. For all its power to serve us, the internet has the power to do us harm, it needs to be fairly regulated and we need to play our part."

The warning from the Foreign Affairs committee comes after an unusual joint appearance last week by the heads of UK's MI5 and USA's FBI, raising alarm about China's efforts in economic espionage and hacking campaigns.