The Ministry of Truth

If you speak out, be careful - you might find the government is spying on you.

Big Brother Watch launched the Ministry of Truth report on 30 Jan 2023, 6-7.30 pm. Speakers include David Davis MP, Gavin Millar KC, Julia Hartley-Brewer and Prof. Carl Heneghan.

Last summer, we worked with Big Brother Watch to determine the extent of the government’s spying activities. As a result, Carl sent Freedom of Information requests to The Rapid Response Unit and the Counter Disinformation Unit (see the report for context). 

The Rapid Response Unit (RRU) is part of the Cabinet Office and was tasked with “tackling a range of harmful narratives online” during the pandemic, “from purported ‘experts’ issuing dangerous misinformation to criminal fraudsters running phishing scams”.

The Counter Disinformation Unit (CDU) was tasked to monitor what it deems to be disinformation and flag content to social media companies, sitting inside the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.