New elite unit flags more than 100 social media posts to police forces as free speech fears grow

Published: 15:29, 8 August 2026 | Updated: 15:32, 8 August 2026 More than 100 social media posts have been flagged to an elite police unit set up by Labour which has been described as a 'sinister' erosion of civil liberties. The unit – known as the National Internet Intelligence Investigations team - was set up by the Government earlier this year in the wake of the 2024 Southport riots. Disturbances in the north west town following the brutal murders of three little girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class by Axel Rudakubana led to national unrest apparently fanned by social media. In the absence of official information about the killer, who was later found to be born here after his parents fled Rwanda, word spread on social media that he was potentially a Muslim asylum seeker, stoking immigration concerns across the UK. Since the new squad started work in February, it has been revealed that its widespread monitoring of social media for what it calls 'protest related activity online' has already led to 106 reports of suspicious online posts being brought to the attention of local police forces. The figures were obtained under freedom of information laws and published today by the Telegraph newspaper. When the unit was originally announced last year, then policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said it would provide 'a dedicated function at a national level for exploiting internet intelligence to help local forces manage public safety threats and risks'. But its opponents including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage warned of more serious democratic implications. More than 100 social media posts have been flagged to the National Internet Intelligence Investigations team, which has been described as a 'sinister' erosion of civil liberties A police car is set on fire in Sunderland during protests held in the wake of the Southport murders In Southampton, protests were held over the police's handling of the arrest of Henry Nowak 'This is the beginning of the state controlling free speech. It is sinister, dangerous and must be fought,' said Mr Farage at the time. In June alone, as trouble flared in Southampton over the police's botched handling of Henry Nowak's horrific murder by a Sikh man, the new figures show that 50 referrals were made. In the aftermath of Vickrum Digwa's sentencing for murdering the teenage student, police bodycam footage was released that showed Hampshire Police officers had mistakenly arrested and handcuffed Mr Nowak as he lay dying, apparently accepting Digwa's false complaint that he had been racist towards him. The shocking footage sparked outrage across the UK and riots in Southampton where police were attacked by protesters. Police have refused to reveal further details about exactly which posts have been reported so far citing an exemption to releasing information publicly relating to the prevention and detection of crime and the apprehension or prosecution of offenders. In a statement, they said new team was 'still in the early stages of being established'. The National Police Coordination Centre says the new squad 'supports policing's understanding of protest-related activity in the online environment by developing a broader picture of emerging, potential risks'. 'Its remit is focused on providing strategic insight and improving awareness of protest-related developments that may have relevance to policing, supporting a coordinated understanding of matters at a regional and national level,' it said.