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#govcomms

6 posts

Owen Boswarva @owenboswarva.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Social media users end up on government list for speaking out against Prevent metro.co.uk/2026/09/25/s... UK Government monitoring X for people who publicly criticise Prevent www.rightsandsecurity.org/government-m... Related ICO decision ico.org.uk/action-weve-... #FOI #govcomms

Social media posts criticising government policy are being monitored and investigated by officials, Metro can reveal.

Negative X and Reddit posts from unsuspecting Brits attacking the UK's anti-terror programme Prevent were added to a database of critical online comments.

Metro has obtained a list of nearly 80 critical posts found and logged by the Standards and Compliance Unit (StaCU), which oversees Prevent, between March 2024 and February 2025.

One campaign group whose tweet was recorded in the database said the revelations raised 'serious questions about freedom of expression and the right to dissent and protest' in the UK.

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Owen Boswarva @owenboswarva.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Same difference committees.parliament.uk/publications... #techpolicy #govcomms

Extract from a letter sent by UK AI minister Kanishka Narayan MP in reply to Liam Byrne MP, Chair of the Commons Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee:

I am happy to confirm that I did not send a letter to my Cabinet colleagues on AI regulation last week, but I did publish an op-ed in the Times. I have included a copy of this article with this letter for your information and ease, which sets out the Government’s approach to AI regulation.

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Owen Boswarva @owenboswarva.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

"We understand you must feel like giving up – please do!" #FOI #govcomms

The ICO is receiving record volumes of complaints and is currently assigning cases for investigation approximately nine months after their date of initial receipt. Unfortunately due to the number of cases we are receiving and the resources available to us to manage this, we do not expect this situation to improve in the near future.

If you can't wait, we understand. You can withdraw this complaint at any time, just let us know.

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Owen Boswarva @owenboswarva.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I see that the UK's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has quietly un-retweeted Lisa Nandy MP's final tweet from July 2nd, in which the Culture Secretary said she and her Department were leaving X #techpolicy #govcomms

Screenshot of tweet by Lisa Nandy MP @lisanandy from July 2nd 2026:

I've decided to leave this platform and my Department will too.

A platform originally designed for free speech and expression now favours abuse and misinformation over meaningful debate.

It isn't healthy for our democracy or our communities and I don't want to support it.

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Owen Boswarva @owenboswarva.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

If I follow this correctly, DCMS ministerial briefs have been announced on X by somebody from techUK. DCMS itself continues to boycott X, but the platform is apparently still a better source for the latest official info than GOV·UK – where DCMS hasn't yet published the briefs? #techpolicy #govcomms

Gavin Freeguard@gavinfreeguard.com

According to @dsonic.bsky.social over on The Other Place (h/t a civil society colleague), the DCMS ministerial briefs have been announced Steph Peacock (who shadowed data/digital infrastructure in opposition) gets GDS, not Ian Murray (who had been minister for GDS while at DSIT)

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Owen Boswarva @owenboswarva.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Good to see Andy Burnham has brought forward the ban on subscription traps but what is he doing about the size of Mars bars #ripoffBritain #costofliving #govcomms

Unofficial BBCNews (UK) Bot@bbcnews-uk-rss.bsky.social

Mars Bar from the 1990s found during house clearance

bbc.co.uk

Mars Bar from the 1990s found during house clearance

The woman who found the chocolate bar during a house clearance compares it with today's Mars Bars.

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