British Army 'monitored citizens' social media posts during pandemic'

Government says Army studied to publicly available data to assess UK disinformation trends

It was said troops were used to spy on the British public through social media profiles. AP

An investigation has been launched following claims that an Army unit monitored and recorded UK citizens’ social media output for Covid disinformation, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said.

Soldiers from the Army’s 77th Brigade collated tweets from British citizens about Covid-19 at the start of the pandemic and passed them to the Cabinet Office as part of wider cross-government efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation about Covid-19, claims Big Brother Watch.

A whistleblower had claimed that troops were used to spy on the British public, said the civil liberties campaign group after an investigation.

Ministers have previously said the 77th Brigade had been involved in assisting a wider government effort to counter disinformation and misinformation about Covid-19.

Speaking in the Commons on Monday, Mr Wallace said the unit’s counter-disinformation capabilities had been used to assess UK disinformation trends. The 77th Brigade was intended to act against hostile actors overseas, he added.

“It is not to be involved in regulating, policing or even reporting opinion that it may or may not agree with," he said.

Three years on from first Covid-19 death - in pictures

A man wearing a facemask in Dubai in April 2020, shortly after the first outbreak. Pawan Singh / The National

Staff from the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team conduct searches on the closed Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, China, at the start of the outbreak on January 11, 2020. AFP

A security guard sits outside the closed Huanan market in Wuhan, Hubei province. Getty Images

A notice displayed near a quarantine control station at Narita Airport, Japan, in January 2020. EPA

An empty Times Square after a coronavirus lockdown was ordered in New York City, March 18, 2020. Reuters

A nurse wearing PPE comforts another as they change shifts on March 13, 2020 at Cremona Hospital, north-eastern Italy. AFP

Sanitation workers from Tadweer on the first day of the UAE cleaning campaign in March 2020. Victor Besa / The National

The pedestrian crossing on Hamdan and Fatima Bint Mubarak Street is sprayed on March 27, 2020. Victor Besa / The National

A commuter enters the sterilisation area at the entrance of the Abu Dhabi Central Bus Terminal in March 2020. Victor Besa / The National

Travellers returning to Kuwait from Egypt, Syria and Lebanon arrive to be re-tested at a containment and screening zone in Kuwait City on March 16, 2020. AFP

Al Wadha Mall in Abu Dhabi reopens in May 2020 with measures in place to protect shoppers. Victor Besa / The National

Safety reminders at Dubai International Airport after the resumption of scheduled operations by Emirates on May 22, 2020. AFP

A delivery driver wearing a face mask in downtown Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Passengers of an Emirates flight prepare to board a plan to Sydney at Dubai International Airport. AFP

Systems put in place at a supermarket in Dubai to slow the spread of the coronavirus. AFP

Conservative former cabinet minister David Davis, who, according to Big Brother Watch, was monitored as part of a cross-government group, called for the issue to be reviewed and Mr Wallace issued an assurance that he had already instructed for it to be examined.

“Colleagues may have read reports this weekend about activity conducted by the Army’s counter-disinformation unit in 77th Brigade," he told the Commons.

“Online disinformation from foreign state actors is a serious threat to the United Kingdom, which is why during the pandemic we brought together expertise from … across government to monitor disinformation about Covid.

“77th Brigade is a hybrid unit of regular and reserve personnel that was established in 2015. It delivers information activities as part of broader military effects against hostile state actors and violent extremist organisations based outside the UK.

“It uses publicly available data, including material shared on social media platforms, to assess UK disinformation trends. It is not to be involved in regulating, policing or even reporting opinion that it may or may not agree with.”

Covid symptoms - in pictures

New research shows that a patient's Covid-19 symptoms can depend on what vaccinations they have received. Getty

Fully vaccinated people most commonly reported a sore throat, persistent cough, runny or blocked nose and headaches. Getty

The study also indicated a decline in reports of shortness of breath and loss of taste and smell. Those were two key symptoms in the early stage of the pandemic. Photo: Getty

In the early stage of the pandemic, breathing difficulty was a common Covid symptom. Photo: UCL

Mr Davis said in the Commons: “I know him [Mr Wallace] well enough that when he tells us that he gave clear instructions and guidelines to the Brigade to only operate foreign powers and extremists, he was telling the exact truth.

“Will he, however, review the issue and ensure that his guidelines have been followed in all cases?”

Mr Wallace said: “Yes, I have, and I have already instructed that we look into not only the story, but indeed my instructions that I personally issued after a visit were carried out.”

A government spokesman told The Telegraph: “Online disinformation is a serious threat to the UK, which is why during the pandemic we brought together expertise from across government to monitor disinformation about Covid.

“These units used publicly available data, including material shared on social media platforms, to assess UK disinformation trends and narratives.

“They did not target individuals or take any action that could impact anyone’s ability to discuss and debate issues freely.”