Home Office plans to create new police unit to monitor social media posts
26/07/2025 | The Telegraph
The Home Office has formed a new police unit to monitor social media for anti-migrant sentiment and early signs of civil unrest. The National Internet Intelligence Investigations team, based at the National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC), will comprise detectives from forces across the country to provide national-level intelligence to local forces.
This move follows criticism of the police's response to summer riots in 2024 and growing concern over ongoing protests outside asylum hotels. The plan was detailed in a letter from Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson to MPs, where she stated the unit's purpose is to "maximise social media intelligence."
The creation of the team aligns with recommendations from the Commons home affairs committee and His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS). A report by the HMICFRS criticised policing for being too "passive" and failing to keep pace with the fast-developing nature of online communications.
In a related Telegraph (£) article, Conservative MP and shadow technology secretary, Julia Lopez, has called for an investigation into the National Security Online Information Team (NSOIT) over its monitoring of online speech critical of police and government policies.
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