Government Counter Disinformation Unit

UK government, Counter Disinformation Unit (‘CDU’)

Counter-Disinformation Unit – open source information collection and analysis: privacy notice

The CDU leads the UK government’s operational response to disinformation threats online,

and ensures the government takes necessary steps to identify and respond to acute misinformation

(i.e. incorrect or misleading information)

and disinformation (i.e. information which is deliberately created to cause harm),

in areas of public interest.

The purpose of the CDU’s work is focused on helping the government understand online disinformation narratives,

and attempts to artificially manipulate the information environment.

The CDU takes an evidence-based approach to countering harmful disinformation online,

through aggregated analysis of publicly available information,

typically from social media.

Whilst this data is anonymised wherever possible,

the content we review may incidentally include personal data,

that may be embedded within material that you or others may have published on those sites

In some cases, such content may include special categories of personal data,

such as political or philosophical opinions.

We may share our analysis with other government departments

CDU may notify the relevant platform.

The CDU has appointed a third party to help conduct analysis of social media platforms.

We will not send personal data beyond the European Economic Area

Elon Musk joins backlash over secret unit curbing lockdown dissent

Counter-disinformation Unit (CDU),

set up by ministers during the pandemic,

collaborated with social media,

monitor the activities of prominent lockdown critics and those who questioned the mass vaccination of children.

Some critics of lockdown had their posts removed,

suspicion is growing that the CDU flagged them to social media

The Government used an artificial intelligence firm to comb social media sites,

and alert them to discussions opposing vaccine passports.

Silkie Carlo, Big Brother Watch

The Counter Disinformation Unit should be suspended immediately and subject to a full investigation.

The war on misinformation has suffered serious mission creep,

and become a blank cheque for the government to secretly monitor and control narratives online in a shocking abuse of power.

Millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money

wasted funding civil servants, AI companies, even the British military,

to monitor academics, journalists, campaigners and members of parliament,

who have criticised government policies,

despite many of those criticisms being later vindicated.

Jacob Rees-Mogg

called for the Covid inquiry to investigate “oppressive” government disinformation units.

“The inquiry clearly ought to investigate the oppressive methods used to override dissent,”

the apparent use of “underhand methods” should not be happening in a free country.

Among those targeted by the Government

Professor Carl Heneghan, Oxford epidemiologist

(Campaigned to keep schools open)

Molly Kingsley (Us for them)

pre 2020

Secretive meetings

BBC, took part in secretive meetings of Counter-Disinformation Policy Forum