An elite police unit in the United Kingdom, known as the National Internet Intelligence Investigations team, has flagged over 100 social media posts to local police forces since its inception earlier this year. The unit was established following the 2024 Southport riots, which saw national unrest amplified by social media activity.
The unit's creation followed disturbances in Southport after the murders of three girls by Axel Rudakubana. In the absence of official information about Rudakubana, social media circulated unconfirmed claims that he was a Muslim asylum seeker, exacerbating immigration concerns. This led to the government establishing the National Internet Intelligence Investigations team to monitor "protest related activity online."
The figures, obtained by the Telegraph newspaper, reveal that 106 suspicious online posts have been brought to the attention of local police forces. In June alone, 50 referrals were made, coinciding with unrest in Southampton over the police's handling of the murder of Henry Nowak.
When the unit was first announced, then policing minister Dame Diana Johnson stated it would "exploit internet intelligence to help local forces manage public safety threats and risks." However, critics, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, have voiced strong opposition. Farage described the unit as "the beginning of the state controlling free speech" and called it "sinister, dangerous and must be fought."
The police have declined to provide specific details about the flagged posts, citing exemptions related to crime prevention and prosecution. A statement from the National Police Coordination Centre indicated that the team is in its "early stages of being established" and aims to "support policing's understanding of protest-related activity in the online environment by developing a broader picture of emerging, potential risks."