Google Cloud outage highlights UK dependence on a few providers

A power event at a Google Cloud facility in London disrupted services used by banks, the courts and the NHS, showing how faults at a small number of cloud providers can affect essential parts of daily life. The incident renewed concerns that the UK’s reliance on a few large technology companies leaves public services and businesses exposed when their systems fail.

Problems peaked at about 9am and were partly resolved by mid-afternoon. Downdetector reports listed Royal Mail, Revolut, HSBC and Lloyds among affected services; Revolut said customers’ money and data were safe, while HM Courts and Tribunal Service reported problems with its video hearings platform. Google said services had been restored. Up to 60% of UK government infrastructure is hosted on cloud services, mainly Amazon, Microsoft and Google; an expert warned that concentration makes widespread disruption harder to avoid.