UK Defence Journal reporting on Iran bots raised in inquiry

A House of Commons committee heard evidence that bot activity linked to Iran appeared to drop sharply during internet shutdowns inside the country, with UK Defence Journal reporting referenced in the discussion.

The Foreign Affairs Committee session, part of its inquiry into disinformation and foreign interference, was told that 1,300 accounts focused on Scottish independence, Brexit and wider narratives about institutional collapse went offline following Iranian internet blackouts after anti-government protests. The Chair, Emily Thornberry, raised the example while questioning former National Cyber Security Centre chief Ciaran Martin about how the UK identifies and responds to “inauthentic amplification” online.

The Chair told the witness: “Recently we discovered that when the internet went down in Iran for the second time, 1,300 bot accounts that are terribly interested in Scottish nationalism went dark.” She added: “Attempts are being made to influence British public opinion.”

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The committee’s interest in the issue comes amid wider political focus on foreign interference. In December, Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched a formal investigation into foreign election interference following the conviction of former Reform Wales leader Nathan Gill for accepting bribes to promote Russian interests in the European Parliament.

Martin cautioned MPs against assuming that hostile intent automatically translates into strategic impact, arguing the UK must distinguish between attempts to interfere and evidence that such activity changed outcomes. However, he accepted that foreign actors have sought to influence UK debate in previous cases, citing the 2019 theft and amplification of a genuine document during the general election campaign.

The Foreign Affairs Committee session also discussed the difficulty of countering disinformation without drifting into content policing. Thornberry framed the focus as coordinated and automated boosting rather than opinions, saying the concern was why certain claims are repeatedly forced into view through networks of accounts and platform mechanics. The hearing formed part of the committee’s ongoing work on “Disinformation Diplomacy”, which is examining how hostile states use cyber activity, illicit financing and information manipulation to erode trust in institutions and democratic processes, including during election periods and in the run-up to them.