The United Kingdom’s newly announced National Centre for Information Defence (NCID) will operate without additional legal powers, focusing primarily on exposing, rather than disrupting, hostile state disinformation campaigns, according to a government source. The centre was unveiled last month by Home Secretary Andy Burnham at the United Nations, who described it as an initiative to “stem this poisonous tide” of false information.
Burnham has assigned the security services the task of establishing the NCID, which will draw on models such as France’s Vigilrum agency and counterparts in Sweden and the Baltic states. The centre aims to consolidate efforts from units across seven government departments that currently address disinformation threats. Burnham indicated that NCID’s objectives would include detecting, attributing, and disrupting hostile state information attacks.
However, a Whitehall official clarified that initial efforts will concentrate on analysing and attributing disinformation activities rather than active disruption. “Exposure is probably a better word,” the source said, adding that the centre is not expected to be granted new statutory powers at this stage, although this position will remain under review. Existing frameworks and authorities, including those held by the security services, will be utilised.
Beyond traditional intelligence capabilities, legal means to compel online platforms to remove disinformation remain limited. A recent report from Ofcom’s advisory committee highlighted that the regulator currently has no direct authority to mandate action against misinformation or disinformation. As a result, influencing and persuading technology companies remain key strategies. The Whitehall source expressed confidence that robust analysis can help convince platforms to cooperate, drawing parallels to past efforts in removing terrorist content from the internet.
The NCID faces other challenges, including potential resistance from the United States, where concerns about safeguarding freedom of speech have led to opposition to disinformation units. Reports indicate the Trump administration pressured several Western allies to withdraw support from a major European conference on disinformation. Although Burnham did not discuss the centre directly with then-President Trump at the UN, the UK government has engaged with American officials, who reportedly responded “broadly positive” to the plan.
Reactions from experts and politicians have been mixed. Stephen Hutchings, a University of Manchester professor specialising in Russian studies, echoed MI5 Director-General Sir Ken McCallum’s caution that publicly exposing Russian disinformation campaigns risks amplifying hostile narratives. Hutchings suggested such exposure could unintentionally bolster Russian claims that Western democracies suppress free speech.
Former Conservative attorney-general Sir Jeremy Wright described the concept as potentially sound in principle but questioned the exclusive focus on state-sponsored disinformation. He noted that misleading information often originates from non-state actors, calling the centre’s state-centred remit “somewhat artificial and probably unsustainable.”
As the NCID takes shape, its ability to balance transparency, legal constraints, and international cooperation will be critical in addressing the complex challenge of information warfare.