The Counter Disinformation Unit (CDU), which sits inside the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), made hourly contact with social media companies to censor free speech during the pandemic. This was revealed by Sarah Connolly, who leads the CDU. Ms. Connolly told MPs that the unit was in touch with companies like Facebook and Twitter “hourly” and encouraged them to swiftly take down posts.
Emails from Twitter to Big Brother Watch disclosed that between November 2020 and February 2023, the CDU contacted Twitter frequently about content related to COVID-19. Twitter informed the campaign group that most of these posts did not violate their community guidelines.
Silkie Carlo, Director of Big Brother Watch said: “This shows that the CDU’s zeal for censorship was so extreme that they were not only flagging lawful speech for censorship but speech that couldn’t even be found to violate highly restrictive Silicon Valley content rules.
“This casts serious doubt on the legitimacy and lawfulness of the unit’s activities, which are ongoing. The Counter-Disinformation Unit should be immediately suspended and subjected to an inquiry, to ensure public resources are being used appropriately and Britons’ right to free speech is being protected.”
The Telegraph – Twitter refused majority of removal requests from Covid spying unit