Dr. John Campbell | Counter Disinformation Unit Part 1

The CDU leads the UK government’s operational response to disinformation threats online and ensures the government takes necessary steps to identify and respond to acute misinformation

(i.e. incorrect or misleading information) 

and disinformation (i.e. information which is deliberately created to cause harm), in areas of public interest.

The purpose of the CDU’s work is focused on helping the government understand online disinformation narratives and attempts to artificially manipulate the information environment. 

The CDU takes an evidence-based approach to countering harmful disinformation online, through aggregated analysis of publicly available information, typically from social media. 

Whilst this data is anonymised wherever possible, the content we review may incidentally include personal data, that may be embedded within material that you or others may have published on those sites.

In some cases, such content may include special categories of personal data, such as political or philosophical opinions. 

We may share our analysis with other government departments CDU may notify the relevant platform. 

The CDU has appointed a third party to help conduct analysis of social media platforms. 

We will not send personal data beyond the European Economic Area