❓WHAT HAPPENED: A secretive government “spy” unit in Britain has been revived to monitor and flag social media posts critical of migrants being hosted in hotels and “two-tier policing”.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Civil servants under Science, Innovation, and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, social media firms, and critics, including U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH).
📍WHEN & WHERE: E-mails were sent during the Southport protests against mass migration in August 2022, with revelations concerning them recently.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Many tweets get you a longer prison sentence than many violent offences.” – Jim Jordan
🎯IMPACT: Critics argue this undermines free speech, while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government insists it is protecting public safety and monitoring harmful content.
A secretive British government unit, previously known as the “Counter Disinformation Unit,” has been revived to monitor social media posts critical of migrants being housed in hotels at taxpayers’ expense and “two-tier policing.” The unit, operating under Peter Kyle’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, flagged posts to social media firms, warning they could “exacerbate tensions.” E-mails sent during the Southport protests against mass migration in August 2022 revealed concerns over posts, including one video captioned “Looks like Islamabad but it’s Manchester,” which officials claimed was shared to “incite fear of the Muslim community.” The e-mails requested explanations on how flagged content was being handled, though they did not explicitly call for removal.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, revealed the correspondence after subpoenaing a social media company for documents. Jordan criticized the British government’s approach, stating accurately that, “Many tweets get you a longer prison sentence than many violent offences.”
Government officials have denied censorship claims, asserting the unit’s role is to monitor trends and flag content that violates platforms’ terms of service. A British government spokesman claimed, “Free speech is a cornerstone of our democracy. The Online Safety Act protects it.”
In fact, the Online Safety Act has resulted in a range of content wholly unrelated to child protection being censored, and Britons do not enjoy American-style free speech protections, with thousands being arrested under the Communications Act and other legislation outlawing “grossly offensive” messages, “stirring up hatred,” and other speech-related crimes.
Image by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street.
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