BBC investigators accessed staff email accounts 73 times in 2025, a marked increase from 42 times the previous year, according to figures obtained by The Mail on Sunday. This rise was partly attributed to an increase in internal leak inquiries, which doubled from five in 2024 to ten in 2025.
The broadcaster experienced a turbulent year in 2025, facing several crises that were reportedly triggered by leaks. Among these were controversies surrounding its MasterChef presenters, its coverage of the Gaza conflict, and a performance at Glastonbury by the band Bob Vylan that included chants against the Israeli military. Director-General Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness resigned in November following the revelation of an internal memo expressing concerns that an episode of Panorama had misleadingly edited a speech by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Over the past five years, the BBC has monitored staff email accounts a total of 242 times. Twenty-seven of these incidents were related to leak inquiries, 54 to internal disciplinary proceedings, and 21 to criminal investigations by authorities. The largest category, with 127 cases over five years, was for legal work. The BBC stated this category includes searches of email accounts to respond to litigation, information requests, and staff requests to access information held by the corporation.
A BBC spokesman commented that the corporation accesses staff email accounts only in exceptional circumstances when it is reasonable, necessary, and proportionate, and that staff are aware of this policy. The spokesperson added that the increase in 2025 was driven by a higher number of Freedom of Information requests, which necessitate searches of relevant information, including staff email accounts where appropriate.
Isabelle Bettis of the whistleblowing charity Protect suggested that organizations should consider whether staff trust internal reporting processes sufficiently when concerns become public.
