FOIA in relation to the use of social media intelligence

The request was partially successful.

Privacy International

Dear Sir/Madam,

Background information and what is social media intelligence

This request relates to the use of overt social media intelligence (that does not include covert intelligence for which RIPA warrants are required) by your government department.

We aware of the increasing prevalence of the use of social media intelligence within central and local government for a wide variety of purposes. Please note we are not asking about whether you monitor responses to your own social media, such as whether a tweet you posted received likes or was retweeted. We are asking about whether you monitor social media of individuals in relation to investigations and intelligence gathering. Please contact us if you require clarification.

The Surveillance Commissioner’s Guidance defines overt social media monitoring as looking as ‘open source’ (https://privacyinternational.org/long-re...) data, being publicly available data.

For example, in 2020 PI published it's extensive research highlighting the use of social media intelligence (SOCMINT) by local authorities. Our report (https://privacyinternational.org/report/...) disclosed that local authorities are looking at people's social media accounts, as part of their intelligence gathering and investigation tactics in areas such as council tax payments, children’s services, benefits and monitoring protests and demonstrations.

We are also aware that the Home Office Extremism Analysis Unit gathers and procesess publicly available data from social media in order to identify and profile individuals as extermists (https://privacyinternational.org/legal-a...).

In light of the above information, Privacy International (PI) requests the following information by way of a Freedom of Information Act request:

1. Please provide the current guidance and/or policy on the the use of (overt) social media for the monitoring/investigations/intelligence gathering purposes in relation to members of the public?
* We understand that definitions related to social media monitoring are not always clear. Please contact us if you are not clear on what we are requesting.

2. Please confirm whether you have undertaken a Data Protection Impact Assessment in relation to the use of social media for the purposes of monitoring/investigations/intelligence-gathering on members of the public. If so, please provide us with a copy.

3. Please confirm whether or not the Department has purchased software and/or hardware to conduct social media monitoring of members of the public and/or in relation to sentiment analysis?
(a) If yes please state the name of the company / provider.

(b) if no, please state whether the Department has developed internal methods to conduct social media monitoring
(c) if you are using any software or hardware to conduct social media monitoring, please describe what it does and how it works.

4. Please confirm what legal basis you are relying on when conducting overt social media monitoring for the purposes of investigations/intelligence-gathering purposes in relation to members of the public?

5. Please inform us how do you assess what constitutes a legitimate aim for your Department to rely on in order to conduct overt social media monitoring?

6. Please inform us if there is an audit trail so that overt social media monitoring is recorded and periodically scrutinised for oversight purposes?

We look forward to hearing from you in relation to our request.

Yours faithfully,

Privacy International

FOI, Department for International Trade

Dear Privacy International,

Many thanks for your request.

Please note that we will need a name so we can process this FOI. I have provided some guidance on submitting FOIAs: https://www.gov.uk/make-a-freedom-of-inf...

Many thanks,

Information Rights Unit

Department for International Trade | 55 Whitehall, Westminster, London SW1A 2HP
| E-mail: [email address]

show quoted sections

Privacy International

Dear Information rights Unit,

I write further to your request for a full name. Please note my name as Dr. Ksenia Bakina.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Ksenia Bakina,
Legal Officer
Privacy International

Information Rights Unit, Department for International Trade

DIT ref: FOI2022/03403

Dear Privacy International

Thank you for your request for information which was received on 1st
August. On behalf of the Department for International Trade (DIT) your
request has been passed on to the appropriate official at DIT to process.

Your request is being considered under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 and DIT will reply at the latest by 6th September.

If you have any queries about this email, please contact the Information
Rights Unit at DIT. Please remember to quote the reference number above in
any future communications.

Kind regards,

Information Rights Unit

Information Rights Team | Department for International Trade | Old
Admiralty Building | London | SW1A 2DY

Please see a link to our Privacy Notice:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...

Information Rights Unit, Department for International Trade

1 Attachment

Dear Privacy International ,

Please find attached a response from the Department for International
Trade to your freedom of information request FOI2022/03403.

Kind regards,

Information Rights Unit

Department for International Trade | Old Admiralty Building | London |
SW1A 2DY | E-mail: [1][email address]

References

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1. mailto:[email address]