The UK government is pressing forward with an AI-driven mass surveillance initiative, expanding the reach of its controversial disinformation-monitoring apparatus. The National Security Online Information Team (NSOIT), formerly the Counter Disinformation Unit (CDU), is behind the development of the Counter Disinformation Data Platform (CDDP), a system designed to scan social media for what it deems “concerning” content. The project, just like much of what the current UK government is doing, raises serious concerns about the encroachment of state censorship and surveillance on lawful speech.

NSOIT gained notoriety for its role in monitoring and flagging critics of government pandemic policies as sources of “misinformation.” Now, with the CDDP, this effort is being supercharged with AI, granting the government an unprecedented capability to sift through vast amounts of public discourse and take “action” against flagged content.

A government-issued privacy notice from 2023 acknowledged that the CDDP would collect and analyze social media posts, including usernames, political opinions, and other personal data. It stated, “To help us analyze the disinformation threats online, we collect content from publicly available social media platforms… the content we review may include the names and opinions of individuals.” This level of scrutiny, even into “special categories” of personal data, highlights the potential for overreach.

According to The Telegraph, the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) recently allocated £2.3 million to Faculty AI to construct the monitoring software, which is purportedly intended to detect “foreign interference” and analyze online narratives.

However, concerns have been raised that the AI tool’s remit could be expanded beyond national security matters. Documents obtained through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests suggest the government has left the door open to using the platform for a broad range of issues beyond its stated purpose. An executive summary of the project explicitly states: “While the CDDP has a current national security focus, the tool has the ability to be pivoted to focus on any priority area.”

This move signifies the entrenchment of a surveillance infrastructure capable of targeting dissent under the guise of combating “disinformation.”

Over the past three years, the government has spent more than £5.3 million on disinformation-monitoring initiatives, including efforts to counter so-called “anti-vax rhetoric” and posts questioning COVID-19 policies.

Among the flagged content were discussions on alternative cancer treatments, mask mandates, and the 5G network. Additionally, government documents revealed concern over social media posts supporting the use of hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment, despite an Oxford University study later confirming its effectiveness in reducing symptoms.

The CDDP’s development has attracted criticism from free speech advocates, who argue that it represents an escalation in state-backed censorship. US Vice President JD Vance recently condemned European governments at the Munich Security Conference, warning that fundamental liberties, including free expression, were under threat. Lord Young of the Free Speech Union also expressed alarm, calling the expansion of this surveillance apparatus “politically unwise.”

He pointed out that the AI system would be scrutinizing content on American-owned platforms, making it likely to provoke a backlash from the US, particularly given the pro-free speech stance of figures like Elon Musk and the Trump-Vance administration.

The government insists that the AI-driven surveillance tool does not monitor individuals but instead tracks overarching “themes and trends.”

However, previous FoI requests have revealed that reports were compiled on individual commentators, including mainstream academics and journalists who merely questioned official policies.

Figures such as Dr. Alex de Figueiredo and Prof. Carl Heneghan were identified in government files for expressing concerns about vaccine policies and pandemic responses.