The Government is pumping millions into an AI-driven censorship scheme to monitor “problematic” social media posts. DSIT has splashed £2.3 million on Faculty AI to develop the Counter Disinformation Data Platform (CDDP) – a tool designed to trawl through online speech and flag content for government scrutiny. Last week, Apple scrapped UK user data protections after Labour demanded access—yet another state assault on privacy…
Since 2021, the Government has spent more than £5.3 million on developing the CDDP and other disinformation projects. Toby Young of the Free Speech Union slammed the project:
“It’s politically unwise, to put it mildly. To the Trump-Vance administration this will look like another attempt to ‘kill Musk’s Twitter’, the self-professed agenda of a pro-censorship lobby group founded by Keir Starmer’s chief of staff.”
Meanwhile, Big Brother Watch’s Jake Hurfurt warned, “There is a risk that the Ministry of Truth lives on. With vast amounts of taxpayers’ cash on the line, it is time for the Government to be clear on how it monitors social media, and whether it is pressuring social media companies to censor the public’s lawful speech”. Starmer ramping up censorship while Trump tears it down won’t do the ‘special relationship’ any favours…
Douglas Alexander – a friend of Starmer’s – was asked on Sky News if the PM will be in post at the next election. He wasn’t so sure himself:
“I think he will. There are no certainties but of course I think he will lead and I think he should because, frankly, on the biggest call in this parliament he’s exercised the right judgment, which is to keep us out of someone else’s war.”