Britain’s intellectual property minister has faced calls to shut down a “secret institution” accused of spying on lockdown critics, politicians, and journalists.
Viscount Camrose was forced to defend the government’s controversial Counter Disinformation Unit (CDU), claiming most of its work focused on hostile state threats to the UK.
On that basis, he told the House of Lords on Tuesday, its work could not be made public.
However, he offered to hold a private briefing with a delegation of peers to discuss the scope of the CDU.
Responding to a question from Lord Strasbourg on the surveillance activities of the secretive unit, Viscount Camrose said: “The unit is established within the Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology. Its existence and mission, and indeed legal basis, for its activities are posted on Gov.uk….