Covid inquiry 'buried evidence' of lockdown critic surveillance

The Covid Inquiry is facing criticism for allegedly hiding evidence regarding government surveillance of lockdown critics. During the pandemic, the Counter-Disinformation Unit (CDU) monitored anti-lockdown activists and flagged their social media posts for removal. The inquiry's latest report deemed this monitoring "lawful, necessary and proportionate," despite evidence showing the CDU recorded lawful speech of academics and journalists.

Silkie Carlo from Big Brother Watch stated, "It is one thing to ignore evidence but then to bury it by not making it public." The CDU was funded to track vaccine misinformation, spending about £1.5 million on contracts with a very shady AI company called Logically to monitor dissent. Inquiry officials claimed an oversight for not publishing certain witness statements, including Carlo's, highlighting a need for better transparency.