Last year, Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter revealed that 77th Brigade was involved in countering misinformation online relating to Coronavirus.
It is understood that this effort has now ended, with 77th Brigade keen to point out that their capabilities were not used against British citizens.
In an update to the ‘Ministry of Defence COVID Support Force’ guidance on the UK Government website, it states
“77th Brigade previously support Cabinet Office’s Rapid Response Unit with monitoring and detecting disinformation and misinformation. Instances identified were passed to the Cabinet Office for action. The Brigade is no longer involved in these tasks which came to an end in the summer.
The 77th Brigade are not currently supporting in the Cabinet Office with any projects that would involve interactions with British Citizens who might be posting disinformation nor misinformation and any capabilities are not being directed at the UK population. 77th Brigade do not, and have never, conducted any kind of action against British citizens.”
Back in 2019 Scottish National Party politician Douglas Chapman claimed that 77th Brigade are “attacking and undermining” people in Scotland.
Politician claims that the British Army’s 77th Brigade is ‘attacking’ Scots online
In the now deleted Tweet, Douglas Chapman MP posted:
Essentially, he claimed that the British Army were engaged in operations online against British citizens, there was however no proof offered.
What do 77th Brigade do?
In their own words, “Our aim is to challenge the difficulties of modern warfare using non-lethal engagement and legitimate non-military levers as a means to adapt behaviours of the opposing forces and adversaries”.
You can read more on their website by clicking here.
Basically, 77th Brigade specialise in “non-lethal forms of psychological warfare”, using social media including Facebook and Twitter to fight with information in response to external factors, like Russian misinformation.
Their target is typically Russian propaganda, propaganda that is notably very active around NATO troops deployed to the Baltics alleging that the soldiers there are criminals and rapists. More recently, their target has been COVID19 misinformation.
Russia is at the forefront of information warfare in the modern age, utilising an array of organisations and strategies to spread disinformation to further national strategy but how are they doing it? The flood of inaccurate stories is so strong that both NATO and the European Union have established special offices to identify and refute disinformation, especially with coronavirus.
The point of units like 77th Brigade is to counter this kind of threat.
No surprise the SNP are up to their old tricks again…. They will say anything if they think it will advance their cause….
It is perhaps a mark of the desperation of a small bunch of fanatics trying to stoke up hostility towards the English.Their tactics are so transparent I’m not sure it will further their cause – indeed it may well lose the SNP votes.
The SNP are not a small bunch of fanatics. They have a very large membership and many elected representatives.
Mike the hardcore are a small bunch in relative terms. many vote for the Scottish nationalist party who do not want independence they are just pissed off with the Westminster circus,many who voted Brexit also vote snp just like many who are loyal paid up Tory party members are remainers. Those who’s entire lives revolve around the political spectrum are a limited special bunch of peeps or fanatics as you put them but the many ? These people are not. Things are not as clear cut when it comes to party political stance on local and national elections . It’s… Read more »
Its illegal for the UK armed services to act against their own people, and I think you’ll find that Scotland is part of the UK, and that the military admitted they have been acting against us, by stating that they have stopped doing so. Ergo, the SNP are correct.
I think if a British politician attacks an institution like the British Army they must be asked to produce evidence. The police should be involved to get to the bottom of it. If it cannot be proved the politician should resign!
I’m with you on that one. The shame is that what should be a reasoned debate is descending into an internet slanging match, and people are gullible enough to believe almost anything they want to hear. If you throw enough mud eventually some of it will stick.
Indeed, if this was a private body it could be defamation!
It about time the SNP stopped acting against the United Kingdom
It is their democratic right.
The tweet you quote dates from August, 2019. That’s a year and five months ago!
Yes. That is why the preceding text says “Back in 2019”.
Thank you
Need to go to Specsavers mate
That is really dangerous. An army should not be dealing with internal affairs.
Engage brain, and read the article before engaging keyboard!
I have read maybe you don’t, The fact they stopped means they have done it…
I suspect this sort of nonsense stems from someone seeing that one of the predecessors of 77 Bde was 15 ( Psyops ) Group, based at Chicksands, which had this sort of mystique where people simply did not understand their role.
Who gets to decide what is disinformation? SAGE , the WHO , sky news , google ,The bbc? , the civil service, the PM,77th brigade the UKDJ ? Nobody in government or authority or industry ever lies ever about anything or to the people it just doesn’t ever happen nor has it ever happened and the British Gov have never ever done naughty things that against their own people . I mean smoking is good for you my grandads Dr recommended it and to spray my old man with DDT…If you believe that then I’ve got a couple of bridges… Read more »
NI springs to mind. Army Intel, MI5, RUC Special Branch…all doing their own thing and denying it. Spooks are spooks. Never trust any spook speke.
God save us from these idiotic SNP ,s who jump out of their chairs to see what they want to see as a threat to the Scots. Do they actually have a brain ,.One wonders if the Scots public actually accept these ravings as truthful I guess its all a matter of what you wish to see rather than what is
Further more if they gain independence do they want these sort of idiots running their country