Disinformation circulating online is not staying online but is feeding directly into the UK’s political debate, according to Graeme Downie MP.
The remarks follow a UK Defence Journal investigation which revealed how Iranian-linked sockpuppet accounts on X have attempted to infiltrate the Scottish independence debate.
The investigation focused on the account @fiona175161, which appeared to be an ordinary pro-independence activist but fell silent during Iran’s nationwide blackout in June before re-emerging with Tehran’s talking points. That pattern, replicated across dozens of accounts, provided strong evidence of coordinated state-linked interference.
Responding to those findings, Downie warned that what begins on social media does not remain there but filters rapidly into the conversations he encounters in his constituency.
“What might start on Twitter as one piece of misinformation is finding its way through Facebook, TikTok and other social media platforms incredibly quickly. On issues from immigration, Ukraine, defence spending or independence, those views are then very clearly being reflected in emails my office receive and people I speak to on doorsteps and at constituency surgery. The original source is quickly lost and forgotten and, instead, the misinformation is given credibility simply by repetition.”
He explained how these repeated claims soon take on a life of their own.
“I hear phrases all the time like ‘I am sure I read’ or ‘Someone told me’ or ‘Isn’t it true that….’. Almost always the next part of the sentence can be tracked to some piece of misinformation or deception via social media. The person telling me isn’t intending to mislead but they themselves have been misled.”
Downie argued that the danger lies in the deliberate and organised nature of this activity.
“That has always happened to an extent in any published discourse but when there is clear evidence, as UK Defence Journal has found, that the original source of misinformation is not accidental but orchestrated then that becomes a direct attack on the UK and our democracy by maliciously influencing our debates with information they know not to be true. That is slow drip poison in a democracy and my biggest concern is, it seems to be working.”
He added that the effect is not confined to heavy social media users.
“It might start on social media but it quickly filters through to real life and I have seen it first hand. A lot. Even people almost entirely disconnected from social media repeat this stuff because by repetition it becomes true.”
The MP also placed disinformation alongside cyber operations as part of the broader threat spectrum faced by the UK.
“This kind of stuff is another arrow in the quiver of Russia, Iran and others. I would think of it alongside the tens of thousands of actual cyber attacks the MoD referred to and declassified when the SDR was published.”
The warning underscores a growing concern in Westminster and Holyrood: that foreign influence campaigns are not abstract online games but deliberate efforts to destabilise political systems. In the case of Scotland, the concern is that genuine debate over independence is being exploited by hostile states, muddying the waters and corroding trust.
The Fiona investigation concluded that @fiona175161 and similar accounts were not quirky outliers but part of a coordinated network. Their silence during the blackout, pivot to Tehran’s narratives, AI-generated imagery and regimented posting patterns all pointed to state-linked control.
Downie’s intervention highlights the democratic danger when such activity crosses into everyday life. The original manipulation may be digital, but its consequences are tangible in how voters frame issues, repeat claims, and evaluate political choices.
Another week, another pointless article about Scottish Independence – a topic even the SNP has shut-up about.
The point is Tehran hasn’t and because of the shutdown during hostilities between Iran and Israel the scale of the effort became obvious, exposing this particular campaign as a clearly demonstrable example of how disinformation campaigns can work.
As the article above states, the campaign could have targeted a number of different contentious issues. The fact that it is the debate around Scottish Independence that is being attacked and influenced is in a sense immaterial to the explanation of how such attacks are carried out.
There’s nothing new in this article. Russia, China, Iran and North Korea have been waging online disinformation campaigns for over a decade in an effort to destabilise belief in western democracies and to provoke political divisions. Clinton’s presidential campaign, climate-change, Corvid-19 pandemic, Scottish independence referendum, war in Ukraine, immigration to the U.K., have all seen concerted disinformation campaigns to try and subvert public opinion. The largest current campaigns are to undermine support for Ukraine and to whip-up xenophobia in the U.K. to build support for Reform.
Iran putting so much effort into Scottish independence just shows how out of touch they are with politics on the ground.
Specific examples and political engagement are credible evidence to remind voters that their choices are not free of misinformation that is state sponsored interference in the democratic process.
Just because this was already reported to some degree, it’s not insignificant to identify the bad actors and the sustained nature of their actions that should not be dismissed as ineffective and incidental.
#vpdfo
And state sponsored disinformation is widespread on a number of serious pressing issues – the dead Scottish independence debate not being one of them. (But George has to include at least one article every week about Scottish independence…)
Scotland has contributed so much, not just a King of Scotland who became King of England and Wales, but relentless innovation and industry, so I’ll forgive George his national identity..
In fact, I’ll celebrate it, too!
#StrongerTogether
#WeAreNATO
#LiveLongAndProsper
So what? 🤷🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
Are we talking about England here re hostile states? Oh dear, kick the beehive and watch the house jocks go into an apoplectic rage 😤 😜
Meanwhile on the South Coast of that other part of the UK South of Scotiran all the Hotels are doing a roaring trade in “Tourists”.
And what will the might UK government do about it? F all, like every other time. China, N Korea, Iran, Russia hack us we do nothing. Weakness makes them keep doing it, I am not saying start a war but do some thing rather than bugger all.
Cyber Crime is different to misinformation because there are specific tools and approaches to deal with it. The success of cyber security is part of the reason why misinformation operations are attempted.
GCHQ and industry bodies do encourage and educate UK organisations to invest in cyber security, business resilience and disaster planning. Sadly not all will react appropriately with the more egregious being public funded entities!
RF attacks on supermarket businesses and evidence of poor decisions by their leaders and intent to make daily life harder.
Having seen the abundance of caution in public service organisations first hand, I know that “bugger all” is a wild misunderstanding of the diligence that is usual.
I stand corrected, but these countries do seem to what they want sort of war to the West and not seeing much going back the other way. It feels like yeah we know but we just put up with it. Of course you may be more informed.
Yes, that’s correct. Cyber security is just a cost of doing business so an overhead cost against shareholders funds.
I’m not informed about any operations going in the other direction since GCHQ can keep a secret. However there is public reporting of operations against RF Aeroflop by AFU where I wouldn’t know if GCHQ has helped to enter systems, steal and delete data. 30 years before that would be public.
Similarly the Cyber attack on Iranian oil infrastructure and shipping…
Not so dramatic as B2 Spirit raids but effective against the terrorist state hydrocarbon economy nevertheless. No petrodollars for orcZ.
Agreed, things must go on that we do shout about. It does still seem we do nothing and these countries run riot, clearly is not the case but to most it does look like that.
Hostile states are weaponising disinformation everywhere – might be an equally valid statement. I’m not sure the Scots should feel unduely picked upon.
“ Hostile states are weaponising disinformation in Scotland”
George I think you could say, without exaggeration
“ Hostile states are weaponising disinformation in UK”
I think you can go a step further and say it’s the whole western world.
Yes but Scotland is mentioned three times in a week so It must be really bad there. Maybe a revolution is on the cards.
Oh look, silly me, I’m dangerously close to spreading disinformation !
Thing is though, we can all see through this sort of stuff, even a halfwited Englishman.
Scotland has always been ready to revolt ever since everyone started believing that Mel gibberish film was and actually historically correct drama and not a made up bit of fiction.
*You can take my freedom but you can’t take away my Aussie Accent*
(translated for Iranian Bots).
Ya canny tic ma fredum bit ya can tic awas ma ozzy akksint, jimmy.
Donald wheres thee troosers.
(I don’t really know, just makin et oop az I’s gwain)
Och eye the noo.
I wish you were right halfwit, that we can all see through this sort of stuff, but unfortunately it’s not so. Many people make decisions based on emotions rather that evidence and reason and are easy prey for the media (social or otherwise).
Well yes and I was actually being sarcastic, an awful lot of people are sadly brainfu%*d by the constant barage of meaningless crap that passes for social media entertainment and TV. Deep Fake, AI, CGI is rife
You can see the rubbish people are interested in because it shows up on the web as “trending” so Love Island and who’s in Strictly and what some bimbo is wearing seems to be way more important than proper news.
Just take a look at Farcebook, take a look at the FB UKDJ site and read the comments.
@SB like BREXIT the misinformation operations are looking for leverage so SCEXIT is a handy delusion for them. Keeping it verifiably factual is a good start, and calling out the specific misinformation operators builds awareness and credibility.
I don’t disagree with your point, though BREXIT is settled for now, the attack on UK continues.