UK Minister Says New Anti-Disinformation Unit Will Not Target Domestic Political Dissent

British minister Wes Streeting said a newly announced UK anti-disinformation unit would not be used to police domestic political dissent, following criticism that such a body could be used to suppress legitimate criticism of the government, according to a live report from The Guardian.

Streeting's comments, made to GB News, came after Andy Burnham used a speech to the United Nations to announce the creation of what he called a National Centre for Information Defence. Burnham said the initiative was necessary because, in his words, the country had “given too much ground” to those pushing a “negative, corrosive narrative” about life in Britain that he said bore little resemblance to reality.

Framed as a response to foreign interference

Burnham described what he characterized as an “industrial-scale assault” by hostile actors on the information environment in the UK and among its allies, saying Russian agencies in particular had used various means to spread disinformation and exploit public fears.

He also emphasized that freedom of expression, including the freedom to challenge and criticize the government, remained a value he said he had a responsibility to defend.

Streeting's remarks appeared aimed at addressing concerns that the new centre could be turned against domestic critics of the government rather than focused solely on foreign disinformation campaigns. He said explicitly that the government was “not interested in policing domestic political dissent.”

Further details on the structure, funding, and specific mandate of the National Centre for Information Defence were not immediately available.