Labour Under Fire for Using Terrorist-Tracking Technology to Monitor Anti-Migrant Posts

 

The Labour government is facing mounting criticism after it emerged that software originally designed to track jihadist activity is being used to flag online content from critics of asylum policies. A Whitehall “disinformation” unit, the National Security and Online Information Team (NSOIT), reportedly deployed tools developed in 2017 to hunt for Islamic State recruitment videos, now adapted to monitor posts about asylum seekers during the Southport riots.

 

The revelation follows disclosures that the NSOIT flagged “concerning” narratives to social media platforms during last week’s unrest. The tools in question were created by Faculty, an artificial intelligence firm commissioned by ministers to prevent the spread of extremist content, including violent propaganda and calls for terrorist attacks. At the time, the technology was meant solely to stop British users from encountering such material online.

 

Faculty’s platform could automatically identify Islamic State material, enabling the government to alert tech companies for removal. The same company has since secured a £2.3 million contract to develop a “counter disinformation data platform” designed to detect posts posing “a national security and public safety risk.” This updated platform is described as a direct descendant of the 2017 system, now capable of monitoring a broader range of online trends.

 

In a company video, Matt Collins, the UK’s deputy National Security Adviser, explained: “We had a concerted effort to basically encourage social media companies to do more to remove content which was radicalising individuals to either travel to Syria or to conduct terrorist attacks.” Faculty has also sold the software to help identify foreign interference in elections, though there are no restrictions preventing its use for domestic purposes.

 

Another firm enlisted by the government, the Global Strategy Network, was established by Richard Barrett, a former MI6 head of global counter-terrorism. It has been tasked with scanning for content deemed a public safety threat, which during the riots included posts about migrant hotels. Emails obtained by The Telegraph revealed that in August last year, NSOIT raised concerns with TikTok over posts referencing “two-tier” policing of protests and asylum accommodation, narratives that later became politically damaging for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government.

 

The discovery that anti-terror software was repurposed to monitor debate over immigration policy has fuelled accusations of government overreach. Former US president Donald Trump’s State Department expressed concern over free speech in Britain and pledged to “closely monitor” the situation to ensure American companies were not subjected to censorship. A delegation of US congressmen also met Technology Secretary Peter Kyle to voice their objections.

 

Civil liberties group Big Brother Watch condemned the practice, stating: “It is alarming that the Government is aiming social media surveillance technology at law-abiding British citizens. The Government should abandon its intrusive and unaccountable monitoring of legal online content and urgently commission an independent review of its so-called ‘disinformation’ units.”

 

The row comes as Starmer faces backlash over new Online Safety Act rules requiring social media platforms to verify users’ ages for adult content, prompting fears of over-censorship. X, formerly Twitter, became the first platform to publicly criticise the regulations, warning that “free speech will suffer” if they are not revised.

 

A government spokesman defended the measures, saying: “National security is not only our top priority but also our foremost duty. We will not compromise public safety by letting harmful narratives fester and multiply online, leading to real world harm as we saw in the wake of the horrific Southport attack. Put simply, these are widely used analysis tools and we do not use them to track individuals. They monitor trends safely, legally and transparently.”

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Source Daily Telegraph  2025-08-03

 

 

Classic Labour.

 

Using tools designed to stop terrorists and turning them on their own people to shut them up about their country being destroyed by Labour. 

 

They really are the enemy of the British people at this point. 

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

Classic Labour.

 

Using tools designed to stop terrorists and turning them on their own people to shut them up about their country being destroyed by Labour. 

 

They really are the enemy of the British people at this point. 

I wonder if you supported giving the Government more powers to fight terrorism?

 

How about supporting removing the UK from the European Human Rights laws that protect people in the UK from Government attacks on their rights?

 

 

Pesky Putin, the authoritarian dictator..... oh wait 

11 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I wonder if you supported giving the Government more powers to fight terrorism?

 

How about supporting removing the UK from the European Human Rights laws that protect people in the UK from Government attacks on their rights?

 

 

 

Might stop 12 year old girls from being raped by 2 Afghan illegal immigrants for starters.   Should a 12 year old girl not have the basic human right not to be raped by illegal immigrants who should not be in the country in the first place?   

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14965559/Afghan-asylum-seekers-charged-alleged-rape-girl-Warwickshire-town.html

 

Whilst the government is monitoring the language people are using who are concerned about illegal immigrants raping their daughters, illegal immigrants are actually raping their daughters.   It's long overdue to call this what this is.  A national emergency that should use military force to prevent the illegal invasion of savage men into the UK to protect children from being raped by these monsters.  

30 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Classic Labour.

 

Using tools designed to stop terrorists and turning them on their own people to shut them up about their country being destroyed by Labour. 

 

They really are the enemy of the British people at this point. 

 

Is there anything to support this claim, aside from the above article that has no sources?

I get it that the economic migrants are a crisis and that there are genuine concerns. However, I have the impression that some of this information is put out there to cause conflict. I saw it when the Conservatives were in power and their efforts to deport people were   sabotaged. And I see a similar pattern here. From my perspective, it isn't Tory or Labor, but outside interests trying to turn the UK against each other.

8 hours ago, Social Media said:

government spokesman defended the measures, saying: “National security is not only our top priority but also our foremost duty. We will not compromise public safety by letting harmful narratives fester and multiply online, leading to real world harm as we saw in the wake of the horrific Southport attack. Put simply, these are widely used analysis tools and we do not use them to track individuals. They monitor trends safely, legally and transparently.”

Tell that to the Marines, and indeed Mrs Lucy Connolly!

8 hours ago, James105 said:

 

Might stop 12 year old girls from being raped by 2 Afghan illegal immigrants for starters.   Should a 12 year old girl not have the basic human right not to be raped by illegal immigrants who should not be in the country in the first place?   

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14965559/Afghan-asylum-seekers-charged-alleged-rape-girl-Warwickshire-town.html

 

Whilst the government is monitoring the language people are using who are concerned about illegal immigrants raping their daughters, illegal immigrants are actually raping their daughters.   It's long overdue to call this what this is.  A national emergency that should use military force to prevent the illegal invasion of savage men into the UK to protect children from being raped by these monsters.  

There’s no such thing as not having the right not to be raped.

3 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

There’s no such thing as not having the right not to be raped.

 

I'm quoting this to save it for posterity.

 

You can all see for yourself, what an almighty chopper, the Chomper is.

12 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

There’s no such thing as not having the right not to be raped.

 

Oh silly me, I had no idea that kids did not have the right to "not be raped" as part of their basic human rights package in the UK.  How do they get this right then?  Do their parents need to purchase the "gated community upgrade package?".  I suppose this package would still have some limitations as I doubt the coverage would cover "outside the gates".   Perhaps they need to buy the "Poland/Hungary upgrade package" who seem to have avoided the rape epidemics that seems to be prevalent in the rest of western Europe.   Any idea why Poland and Hungary's kids are safer than UK kids from being raped?  

 

Anyway, since you seem to be very knowledgeable on rights that kids do and do not have, how about the "right not to be kidnapped"?  Is this available in the basic human rights package for kids in the UK?

 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/36136231/migrant-charged-attempting-kidnap-child/ 

21 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I wonder if you supported giving the Government more powers to fight terrorism?

 

How about supporting removing the UK from the European Human Rights laws that protect people in the UK from Government attacks on their rights?

 

 

 

Critics of illegal immigration are not terrorists, much as you would like to pretend they are. 

3 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

Critics of illegal immigration are not terrorists, much as you would like to pretend they are. 

According to this UK Gov training guide they are ....

6 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

According to this UK Gov training guide they are ....

 

Yes but the UK government are the enemy of the British people.

 

Nobody listens to the lying incompetents.

Every good government needs a Ministry of Truth to ensure nobody thinks or speaks outside the official party line. 

 

In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act. 

47 minutes ago, James105 said:

 

Oh silly me, I had no idea that kids did not have the right to "not be raped" as part of their basic human rights package in the UK.  How do they get this right then?  Do their parents need to purchase the "gated community upgrade package?".  I suppose this package would still have some limitations as I doubt the coverage would cover "outside the gates".   Perhaps they need to buy the "Poland/Hungary upgrade package" who seem to have avoided the rape epidemics that seems to be prevalent in the rest of western Europe.   Any idea why Poland and Hungary's kids are safer than UK kids from being raped?  

 

Anyway, since you seem to be very knowledgeable on rights that kids do and do not have, how about the "right not to be kidnapped"?  Is this available in the basic human rights package for kids in the UK?

 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/36136231/migrant-charged-attempting-kidnap-child/ 

Think it through, kids do have the right not to be raped.

 

Not having that right isn’t a thing.

12 hours ago, The Cyclist said:

 

I'm quoting this to save it for posterity.

 

You can all see for yourself, what an almighty chopper, the Chomper is.

Along with the post it refers to?

13 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

There’s no such thing as not having the right not to be raped.

 

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt - double negatives make your sentence confusing and open to misinterpretation.

 

I will assume you agree that raping children is not a good thing. 

12 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Think it through, kids do have the tight not to be raped.

 

Not having that right isn’t a thing.

Rule 1 : When in a hole,stop digging.

18 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Think it through, kids do have the tight not to be raped.

 

Not having that right isn’t a thing.

 

I think the intention  of my sentence was perfectly clear and to be corrected by someone of your grammatically low standards (kids do have the tight not to be raped) is pushing the boundaries of irony I think, but is to be expected from someone who consistently uses deflection due to an inability respond to the points being made. 

A bit of background on the  Counter Disinformation Unit, who it was who established it and why:

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fact-sheet-on-the-cdu-and-rru

3 minutes ago, James105 said:

 

I think the intention was perfectly clear of my sentence and to be corrected by someone of your grammatically low standards (kids do have the tight not to be raped) is pushing the boundaries of irony I think, but is to be expected from someone who consistently uses deflection due to an inability respond to the points being made. 

EFL teacher by any chance?

40 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Think it through, kids do have the right not to be raped.

 

Not having that right isn’t a thing.

Must be a lonely life you lead forcing you to post the most drivel daily. And, tiresome.

5 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Must be a lonely life you lead forcing you to post the most drivel daily. And, tiresome.

And yet here you are doing just that.

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

 

Critics of illegal immigration are not terrorists, much as you would like to pretend they are. 

 

Correct, but the software was developed to track extremist content.

 

People in hoodies or a face masks, draped in the flag of St. George, hijacking a peaceful "pink" protest by women and children in Canary Wharf, smashing up a police van in Epping, setting fire to garbage bins and threatening online to not intervene if a hotel full of human beings is going to be set on fire in Southport, aren't "critics of illegal immigration." They are lumpen idiots being played by violent extremists.

1 hour ago, Gsxrnz said:

Every good government needs a Ministry of Truth to ensure nobody thinks or speaks outside the official party line. 

 

In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act. 

 

Woohoo!!! It's half-past time for me to dig out that ominously subversive Che shirt from my Uni youth, and dust off the Beatles Double White and play "Revolution" on my record player.

 

I hope it still fits.

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

EFL teacher by any chance?

 

No, software developer, but I did make the effort to actually turn up to English language and lit classes when I was a kid.  Judging from your contributions here I presume English is not your first language?  Do you need an EFL teacher, is that the reason for asking?  I'm afraid I don't know any to recommend.   Perhaps someone else can help you.    

Let's hope British terror government doesn't monitor AN,

or some forum members won't be going back home again.

Is this the UK outdoing China at being Chinese?

1 hour ago, Watawattana said:

Is this the UK outdoing China at being Chinese?

Well not fair focusing on UK alone.

Others are on the same road , like Germany.

6 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

Correct, but the software was developed to track extremist content.

 

People in hoodies or a face masks, draped in the flag of St. George, hijacking a peaceful "pink" protest by women and children in Canary Wharf, smashing up a police van in Epping, setting fire to garbage bins and threatening online to not intervene if a hotel full of human beings is going to be set on fire in Southport, aren't "critics of illegal immigration." They are lumpen idiots being played by violent extremists.

 

And what do the Muslims think.

 

https://www.facebook.com/100086098500636/videos/744123625234379/?fs=e&d=n&fs=e