'Shocking' scale of UK government's secret files on critics revealed

[muriel_volestrangler]

Fifteen government departments have been monitoring the social media activity of potential critics and compiling “secret files” in order to block them from speaking at public events, the Observer can reveal.

Under the guidelines issued in each department, including the departments of health, culture, media and sport, and environment, food and rural affairs, officials are advised to check experts’ Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts. They are also told to conduct Google searches on those individuals, using specific terms such as “criticism of government or prime minister”.
...
The revelations will be hugely embarrassing for a Conservative party that regularly claims to champion free speech and has slammed universities for allowing students to “no platform” experts with whom they disagree.
...
Dan Kaszeta, a chemical weapons expert, was disinvited in April from giving a keynote speech at a UK defence conference after officials found social media posts criticising Tory ministers and government immigration policy. He told the Observer this weekend that he knows of 12 others who have uncovered evidence of similar government blacklisting, most of whom are frightened of speaking out. But he said far more will be unaware they ever failed secret vetting.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/nov/18/shocking-scale-of-uk-governments-secret-files-on-critics-revealed

It's the hypocrisy. The Tories are trying to engage in the "culture wars", and claiming to be against "cancel culture" (there was a DU thread on an article saying the war against woke had fizzled out in the USA - but it certainly hasn't in the UK. We have a new government minister to lead the "anti-woke agenda", even). But if someone has criticised an aspect of government policy that is unrelated to what they'd talk about as an expert, the Tories cancel them. Just without being open about it.

[LeftishBrit]

1. Yes. Ugh.

The hypocrisy of their accusing everyone on the left of practicing 'cancel culture'.