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Army spied on lockdown critics: Sceptics, including our own Peter Hitchens, long suspected they were under surveillance. Now we've obtained official records that prove they were right all along [ UK ]
dailymail.co.u ^ | January 28, 2023 | Glen Owen

Posted on 01/31/2023 3:20:22 PM PST by ransomnote

A shadowy Army unit secretly spied on British citizens who criticised the Government's Covid lockdown policies, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Military operatives in the UK's 'information warfare' brigade were part of a sinister operation that targeted politicians and high-profile journalists who raised doubts about the official pandemic response.

They compiled dossiers on public figures such as ex-Minister David Davis, who questioned the modelling behind alarming death toll predictions, as well as journalists such as Peter Hitchens and Toby Young. Their dissenting views were then reported back to No 10.

Documents obtained by the civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, and shared exclusively with this newspaper, exposed the work of Government cells such as the Counter Disinformation Unit, based in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and the Rapid Response Unit in the Cabinet Office.

Military operatives in the UK's 'information warfare' brigade were part of a sinister operation that targeted politicians and high-profile journalists

But the most secretive is the MoD's 77th Brigade, which deploys 'non-lethal engagement and legitimate non-military levers as a means to adapt behaviours of adversaries'.

They said that British citizens' social media accounts were scrutinised – a sinister activity that the Ministry of Defence, in public, repeatedly denied doing.

Papers show the outfits were tasked with countering 'disinformation' and 'harmful narratives... from purported experts', with civil servants and artificial intelligence deployed to 'scrape' social media for keywords such as 'ventilators' that would have been of interest.

 


(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: britain; covid; dissent; england; europe; internet; lockdown; military; nuremberg2; socialmedia; spying; surveillance
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1 posted on 01/31/2023 3:20:22 PM PST by ransomnote
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To: ransomnote

“and legitimate non-military levers as a means to adapt behaviours of adversaries”

They view the public as the enemy.


2 posted on 01/31/2023 3:22:54 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same. )
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To: ransomnote

Gee. This sounds exactly like what a Banana Republic would do.

Oh that’s right. We are living in a Banana Republic.

Click my screen name for further details on how and when we became a Banana Republic.


3 posted on 01/31/2023 3:24:51 PM PST by Responsibility2nd (Donald Trump is a setting sun. Ron DeSantis is a rising star.)
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To: ransomnote

So what?


4 posted on 01/31/2023 3:27:31 PM PST by moovova ("The NEXT election is the most important election of our lifetimes!“ LOL...)
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To: ransomnote

If these were under a republican administration the left would demand heads to roll. But since these are communists under a communist regime, the left supports it.


5 posted on 01/31/2023 3:29:24 PM PST by patriot torch
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To: Responsibility2nd

No, we are definitely not worthy of being called any form of republic.

But we ARE under “leadership” that is simply, “bananas”.


6 posted on 01/31/2023 3:34:28 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: ransomnote

These people should be hanged after a fair trial, if found guilty.


7 posted on 01/31/2023 3:36:12 PM PST by imabadboy99
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To: ransomnote

It isn’t paranoia when they are actually out to get you.


8 posted on 01/31/2023 4:00:28 PM PST by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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To: ransomnote

9 posted on 01/31/2023 4:02:29 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: Taxman

Ping


10 posted on 01/31/2023 4:08:22 PM PST by Taxman (SAVE AMERICA! VOTE REPUBLICAN IN 2023 AND 2024!)
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To: imabadboy99
These people should be hanged after a fair trial, if found guilty.

At this point I could go either way on the trial part, but sure…why not?

11 posted on 01/31/2023 4:18:09 PM PST by noiseman (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.)
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To: ransomnote; All

Please point out this is the Royal Army not the US Army. In Britain the government can do this completely within its powers,


12 posted on 01/31/2023 4:23:36 PM PST by robowombat ( )
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To: ransomnote

How Johnson hasn’t been hanged is beyond me.


13 posted on 01/31/2023 4:26:24 PM PST by nonliberal (Z.)
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To: nonliberal; Admin Moderator

Dear Admin, could you assist in clarifying that this article pertains to the UK, by adding (UK) to the end of the title. I failed to make it clear and it may cause some confusion. Thank you.


14 posted on 01/31/2023 4:29:27 PM PST by ransomnote (IN GOD WE TRUST)
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To: ransomnote

This is the type of “democracy” we are fighting to preserve....

:-(


15 posted on 01/31/2023 4:31:53 PM PST by cgbg (Claiming that laws and regs that limit “hate speech” stop freedom of speech is “hate speech”.)
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To: robowombat

“In Britain the government can do this completely within its powers,”

Snowden exposed the practice of Britain spying on US citizens and the US spying on British citizens.

One click of the mouse and the “local” data is swapped.

That preserves everybody’s deniability.

“We didn’t spy on you. Promise.”


16 posted on 01/31/2023 4:33:36 PM PST by cgbg (Claiming that laws and regs that limit “hate speech” stop freedom of speech is “hate speech”.)
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To: cgbg

Ha Ha, so much from the UK is like a Monty Python skit. Ours are just squalidly stupid like the adventures of Hunter B and his tool.


17 posted on 01/31/2023 4:35:08 PM PST by robowombat ( )
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To: robowombat

The US is like a Monty Python skit as well.

The Congressional Intelligence Oversight Committees have to hold their noses and ears and tape their eyes shut to avoid spotting domestic spying.


18 posted on 01/31/2023 4:41:49 PM PST by cgbg (Claiming that laws and regs that limit “hate speech” stop freedom of speech is “hate speech”.)
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To: robowombat

Do you think the Cia Fbi Doj Googleplex did the exact same thing here?


19 posted on 01/31/2023 4:41:54 PM PST by Uncle Miltie ("The News” is a fake narrative promulgated by the Deep State Uniparty to control you and enrich them)
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To: Uncle Miltie

Absolutely.


20 posted on 01/31/2023 4:44:17 PM PST by RushIsMyTeddyBear
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