Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the National Security Online Information Team: privacy notice, published on 16 April 2024, what steps his Department is taking to identify the potential risks to (a) public safety and (b) national security that the National Security Online Information Team focuses on; and what measures his Department has put in place to ensure that this process is politically impartial.

The National Security Online Information Team’s (NSOIT) agreed remit is to analyse narratives and trends from publicly available information online relating to national security and public safety, where ministers agree there is a high risk to UK audiences from mis and disinformation. This remit and the work of NSOIT is kept under review by ministers.

NSOIT’s commitment to protecting freedom of expression is embedded in its policies and practices. For example, NSOIT has a blanket ban on referring content from journalists and politicians to social media platforms. Its privacy notices are available on gov.uk.