Latest news with #JakeHurfurt
BBC News
06-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Police FOI unit dubbed 'authoritarian censor'
A national policing unit has been criticised for telling local forces to block the release of information under laws designed to safeguard the public's right to National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) has advised forces not to reveal information on topics including the use of banned surveillance software and the spread of super-strength drugs, the BBC has group Big Brother Watch said the NPCC team – known as the central referral unit (CRU) – was acting like an "authoritarian censor" rather than a public CRU said it acted in line with legislation and only recommended how local forces should respond to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. The BBC was alerted to the unit's involvement in local forces' FOI responses while researching the spread of potent synthetic forces - more than a third of the UK's total number - had given us details about crimes linked with the drugs, but then retracted their responses at the unit's unit argued the information would undermine national security as it could be exploited by drug subsequent investigation found the CRU had advised local forces on 1,706 occasions in the first three months of 2024 - equivalent to one in every 11 requests submitted to forces in that time. On another occasion, it cited concerns about "negative press" when advising forces to retract earlier responses and instead neither confirm nor deny if their officers had used the facial recognition search engine PimEyes, according to documents obtained by Liberty software has been banned by Scotland Yard. Jake Hurfurt, the head of research and investigations at Big Brother Watch, said pressurising police forces to retract data was "the practice of an authoritarian censor not an accountable public body"."It is alarming that the NPCC is going beyond giving advice to individual forces and instead seemingly orchestrating how every force responds to sensitive transparency requests," he CRU said it was legitimately discussing "negative press" or "media attention" when researching what information was already published, but those factors did not influence whether it favoured disclosure. It also said it had had a smaller volume of work in each year since 2020. What is Freedom of Information? FOI laws came into force in the UK in January 2005 and allow anyone to apply to government or public bodies to see information, such as crime statistics or details on those laws, citizens can ask for information from people in power - sometimes including details they might prefer had stayed a secret. The Freedom of Information Act presumes each request should lead to information being disclosed, unless a legal exemption applies. Our investigation revealed the CRU did not follow the so-called "applicant-blind principle" when responding to FOI principle states everyone should get the same level and quality of response, regardless of whether it is their first request or they use the act regularly in their CRU, however, recorded whether requesters were members of the media and their said it was not subject to the applicant-blind principle because it was only an advisor, but would stop the practice from March also said it could not share records of when it had conducted public interest tests or if and when it had favoured the disclosure of information that was in the spirit of FOI laws. Akiko Hart, director of human rights advocacy group Liberty, said: "It's incredibly concerning that police have continually tried to downplay, hide and rescind information that is in the public interest."At a time when public trust in police is at an all-time low, transparency in their actions has never been more important. The police have a statutory duty to provide information held by them when requested by the public and journalists, and must not try to circumvent this."In 2022, an independent review was conducted into a separate government unit that advised other departments on their FOI responses. The review found poor practice and recommended the unit's so-called Clearing House was part of the Cabinet Office. It was alleged to have profiled journalists and treated their FOI requests review rejected its approach of circulating the names of requesters who had asked the same questions of several departments – a so-called round robin requester – to help it coordinate similar government's response was to say it would pilot a new system "immediately", but the BBC found the NPCC's CRU still matched names to round robin requests 18 months after the Clearing House recommendations were published. Claire Miller, former data journalism editor and an expert in FOI, said further investigation was needed as the CRU did not seem to be "operating within the spirit of the FOI Act.""It does not seem to have taken on board the criticisms of and recommendations for the Clearing House, which perhaps it should have done," she said. The NPCC declined to give an interview but instead issued a Constable Rob Carden, its digital, data and technology lead, said: "Policing is firmly committed to being open and transparent. Compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 is one important way we remain accountable to the public."We always strive to share as much as we can in our responses with a presumption to disclose. However, there are circumstances where information cannot be disclosed and needs to be redacted, and on occasions withheld, to ensure police can continue to use tactics to protect the public or to prevent sensitive information being exploited by criminals to cause harm. These instances are strictly sanctioned with clear parameters, as set out in legislation."He said complaints about how forces applied the FOI Act could be referred to the Information Commisioner's Office (ICO).A spokeperson for the ICO said the data watchdog had used its powers "proactively numerous times" in the last two years to ensure police forces were said: "We will continue to take action when necessary, including keeping under review whether any central co-ordination in this sector is having a negative impact on compliance with the law when we examine the complaints that come to us." Author Martin Rosenbaum, a former FOI lead for the BBC, said the performance of police forces when it came to handling FOI requests had "seriously deteriorated"."The ICO has taken enforcement action against 15 police forces because of their FOI failings, which is more than one in three forces nationally, and is the worst record of any part of the public sector," he and South Yorkshire police were among the forces issued with enforcement notices in 2024 for failing to answer requests within the 20 days set out by law. The ICO spokesperson said there was nothing to stop public bodies like the police seeking advice from a central body on how to correctly interpret the law, but it must not stop them meeting deadlines for responses or any other FOI data journalism: Paul Bradshaw More about this storyThe Shared Data Unit makes data journalism available to news organisations across the media industry, as part of a partnership between the BBC and the News Media more about the Local News Partnerships here.
Telegraph
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
‘Assault on free speech' as secretive unit plans to snoop on social media
The Government's controversial disinformation team is developing a secretive AI programme to trawl through social media looking for 'concerning' posts it deems problematic so it can take 'action'. Records show the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) recently awarded a £2.3 million contract to Faculty AI to build monitoring software which can search for 'foreign interference', detect deepfakes and 'analyse social media narratives'. The platform is part of the Counter Disinformation Unit (CDU) which was set up in 2019 and sparked widespread criticism for amassing files on journalists, academics and MPs who challenged the Government's narrative during the pandemic. The unit, which has since been rebranded the National Security Online Information Team (NSOIT), has links to the intelligence agencies, which has allowed it to avoid public scrutiny. DSIT said the new AI tool, called the Counter Disinformation Data Platform (CDDP), is looking solely for posts 'which pose a threat to national security and public safety risk'. The current focus of beta testing is the influence of foreign states during elections. However, heavily redacted documents obtained by Big Brother Watch through Freedom of Information (FoI) requests show that the Government is reserving the right to also use the platform for other issues. An executive summary for the project states: 'While the CDDP has a current national security focus the tool has the ability to be pivoted to focus on any priority area.' Need for transparency Jake Hurfurt, head of research and investigations at Big Brother Watch, warned that the Government was still refusing to publish 'huge swathes of information' about the platform while dodging questions from Parliament and the Intelligence and Security Committee. 'Whitehall must be transparent about how its 'Counter Disinformation Unit' plans to use AI to monitor social media, when millions of pounds of public money have been poured into its operation,' he said. 'NSOIT's predecessor, the Counter Disinformation Unit, was caught tracking criticism from journalists, activists and even MPs in an assault on free speech, but the Government is still trying to hide this unit in the shadows. There is a risk that the Ministry of Truth lives on. 'Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and with vast amounts of taxpayers' cash on the line, it is time for the Government to be clear on how it monitors social media, and whether it is pressuring social media companies to censor the public's lawful speech.' Since 2021, contracts show the Government has spent more than £5.3 million on developing the CDDP and other disinformation projects including 'detecting coronavirus disinformation' and 'analysing climate related mis/disinformation on social media'. FoI documents reveal counter-disinformation teams are concerned about 'anti-vaxx rhetoric' and have taken an interest in social media posts 'criticising Covid-19 vaccines'. The teams are also looking into those posting about cancer treatments, mask wearing, and the 5G phone network. Documents also show officials were concerned about Elon Musk and Donald Trump's endorsement of the lupus drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid – a drug that in September was proven by Oxford University to reduce symptoms of the virus. A recent report on the CDDP – disclosed via FoI – shows the platform would be used by analysts to 'find the most concerning posts' so they can be reported to 'policymakers and ops teams on what may require action'. It comes after JD Vance, the US vice-president, launched a scathing attack on the British Government and its European counterparts at the Munich Security Conference last week, warning that 'basic liberties' such as free speech, were under threat. Lord Young of the Free Speech Union said: 'To scale up the British arm of the censorship-industrial complex at a time when it's being dismantled on the other side of the Atlantic is politically unwise, to put it mildly. 'It's particularly tin-eared given that the social media platforms that will be targeted by this new robo-censor are all American-owned. 'To the Trump-Vance administration this will look like another attempt to 'kill Musk's Twitter', the self-professed agenda of a pro-censorship lobby group founded by Keir Starmer's chief of staff.' DSIT said that once content was flagged, officials would refer posts back to major platforms who could decide what action to take about the content. The Government said that it respected freedom of expression and would only monitor 'themes and trends', not individuals. However past Subject Access Requests have revealed that the CDU and their contractors produced reports on mainstream commentators and experts for criticising government policy. Dr Alex de Figueiredo, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, was identified as a potential source of misinformation for querying whether all children needed to be vaccinated against Covid-19. The activities of Prof Carl Heneghan, the Oxford epidemiologist who advised Boris Johnson, were also monitored by the unit, as well as Molly Kingsley, who set up a campaign to keep schools open during the pandemic.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Assault on free speech' as secretive unit plans to snoop on social media
The Government's controversial disinformation team is developing a secretive AI programme to trawl through social media looking for 'concerning' posts it deems problematic so it can take 'action'. Records show the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) recently awarded a £2.3 million contract to Faculty AI to build monitoring software which can search for 'foreign interference', detect deepfakes and 'analyse social media narratives'. The platform is part of the Counter Disinformation Unit (CDU) which was set up in 2019 and sparked widespread criticism for amassing files on journalists, academics and MPs who challenged the Government's narrative during the pandemic. The unit, which has since been rebranded the National Security Online Information Team (NSOIT), has links to the intelligence agencies, which has allowed it to avoid public scrutiny. DSIT said the new AI tool, called the Counter Disinformation Data Platform (CDDP), is looking solely for posts 'which pose a threat to national security and public safety risk'. The current focus of beta testing is the influence of foreign states during elections. However, heavily redacted documents obtained by Big Brother Watch through Freedom of Information (FoI) requests show that the Government is reserving the right to also use the platform for other issues. An executive summary for the project states: 'While the CDDP has a current national security focus the tool has the ability to be pivoted to focus on any priority area.' Jake Hurfurt, head of research and investigations at Big Brother Watch, warned that the Government was still refusing to publish 'huge swathes of information' about the platform while dodging questions from Parliament and the Intelligence and Security Committee. 'Whitehall must be transparent about how its 'Counter Disinformation Unit' plans to use AI to monitor social media, when millions of pounds of public money have been poured into its operation,' he said. 'NSOIT's predecessor, the Counter Disinformation Unit, was caught tracking criticism from journalists, activists and even MPs in an assault on free speech, but the Government is still trying to hide this unit in the shadows. There is a risk that the Ministry of Truth lives on. 'Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and with vast amounts of taxpayers' cash on the line, it is time for the Government to be clear on how it monitors social media, and whether it is pressuring social media companies to censor the public's lawful speech.' Since 2021, contracts show the Government has spent more than £5.3 million on developing the CDDP and other disinformation projects including 'detecting coronavirus disinformation' and 'analysing climate related mis/disinformation on social media'. FoI documents reveal counter-disinformation teams are concerned about 'anti-vaxx rhetoric' and have taken an interest in social media posts 'criticising Covid-19 vaccines'. The teams are also looking into those posting about cancer treatments, mask wearing, and the 5G phone network. Documents also show officials were concerned about Elon Musk and Donald Trump's endorsement of the lupus drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid – a drug that in September was proven by Oxford University to reduce symptoms of the virus. A recent report on the CDDP – disclosed via FoI – shows the platform would be used by analysts to 'find the most concerning posts' so they can be reported to 'policymakers and ops teams on what may require action'. It comes after JD Vance, the US vice-president, launched a scathing attack on the British Government and its European counterparts at the Munich Security Conference last week, warning that 'basic liberties' such as free speech, were under threat. Lord Young of the Free Speech Union said: 'To scale up the British arm of the censorship-industrial complex at a time when it's being dismantled on the other side of the Atlantic is politically unwise, to put it mildly. 'It's particularly tin-eared given that the social media platforms that will be targeted by this new robo-censor are all American-owned. 'To the Trump-Vance administration this will look like another attempt to 'kill Musk's Twitter', the self-professed agenda of a pro-censorship lobby group founded by Keir Starmer's chief of staff.' DSIT said that once content was flagged, officials would refer posts back to major platforms who could decide what action to take about the content. The Government said that it respected freedom of expression and would only monitor 'themes and trends', not individuals. However past Subject Access Requests have revealed that the CDU and their contractors produced reports on mainstream commentators and experts for criticising government policy. Dr Alex de Figueiredo, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, was identified as a potential source of misinformation for querying whether all children needed to be vaccinated against Covid-19. The activities of Prof Carl Heneghan, the Oxford epidemiologist who advised Boris Johnson, were also monitored by the unit, as well as Molly Kingsley, who set up a campaign to keep schools open during the pandemic. The Government was approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
