UK’s ‘Disinformation’ Unit Used Anti-Terror Tools to Track Critics of Asylum Hotels, Telegraph Reveals
- Mahamunimodi Team
- Aug 7
- 2 min read
A covert Whitehall unit tasked with monitoring so-called "disinformation" has been found to be repurposing surveillance tools originally developed to track jihadist activity, using them instead to monitor and flag individuals critical of government asylum policies—particularly those expressing opposition to hotels being used to house migrants, The Telegraph has uncovered.
This government unit, known as the National Security and Online Information Team (NSOIT), recently came under public scrutiny after it was revealed that it had been actively flagging online narratives deemed “concerning” in the context of the Southport riots. These flagged posts—many of which were from citizens questioning the government’s immigration strategy or raising safety concerns—were reported to major tech platforms, raising alarms over freedom of expression.
The revelations sparked a swift and strong reaction from U.S. political figures. Members of the Trump administration and American lawmakers have expressed serious concerns, interpreting the unit’s actions as evidence of a broader clampdown on free speech within the United Kingdom. They argue that such measures blur the line between genuine counter-terror efforts and the suppression of dissenting political views.
Digging deeper, The Telegraph has now confirmed that some of the technological capabilities employed by NSOIT were originally created for national security purposes, particularly counter-terrorism. In 2017, the UK government engaged Faculty, a British artificial intelligence firm, to develop AI-driven tools capable of identifying and removing online content related to jihadist propaganda—specifically recruitment videos posted by Islamic State (Isil). These tools were initially designed to track extremist content, but have now reportedly been adapted to monitor domestic online discussions surrounding immigration and migrant housing.
The scope of NSOIT’s current activities raises critical questions about the balance between national security and civil liberties, and whether technologies built for counter-terrorism are now being turned against the very citizens they were meant to protect.
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