UK Democracy Is Defenceless Against Encrypted Propaganda

New report warns that outdated laws leave Britain wide open to AI-driven disinformation and foreign influence campaigns.

Leeds, May 2025 — A new policy paper from the Leeds Policy Institute (LPI) exposes critical gaps in UK law that leave our democracy exposed to sophisticated digital propaganda campaigns that erode public trust, distort elections, and undermine national security.

Read the Full Report

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Key Findings:

1. Policy Shortfall on Encrypted Channels: Current legislation—including the Online Safety Act 2023 and Investigatory Powers Act—fails to tackle end-to-end encryption’s role in untraceable disinformation pipelines. As the paper explains, “Foreign actors have exploited encrypted platforms like Telegram to coordinate domestic unrest in the UK, bypassing existing legislative oversight entirely.” Our paper calls for the introduction of

2. Encrypted-Channel Warrants—court-issued authorizations that allow investigators to access content within encrypted platforms in cases of state-backed disinformation.

3. AI-Powered Misinformation Unchecked: Our paper demonstrates how generative AI lowers costs and accelerates the spread of tailored deepfakes and automated bot networks. “AI enables a single operator to impersonate a movement,” it states, “and distribute highly persuasive content at a scale and speed that overwhelms detection efforts.”

4. Consequences for National Security and Social Cohesion: Without targeted amendments, the UK risks eroded public trust in elections, destabilized community relations, and strategic misinformation undermining foreign policy objectives abroad. Our paper details how “the UK’s reactive legislative tools allow disinformation campaigns to cause harm long before regulators can respond.”

   
   

Policy Recommendations:

1. UK regulators must enforce “Safe-By-Design” standards for AI content generation and bot detection.

2. Legislators must introduce “Encrypted-Channel Warrants” under strict judicial oversight to investigate state-backed disinformation networks.

3. Government must fund National Media-Literacy Initiatives to equip citizens— especially in at-risk diaspora communities—with tools to spot and report propaganda. Example: Local workshops or school programs designed to teach fact-checking, media bias detection, and critical content consumption.

Without decisive policy action, the UK will remain vulnerable to these evolving threats— reacting instead of leading the fight against digital disinformation.

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About Leeds Policy Institute

Leeds Policy Institute (LPI) is the UK's first student-run policy unit and think tank based at the University of Leeds. Since its establishment in April 2023, LPI has united over 100 undergraduate and postgraduate students across diverse disciplines to conduct evidence-based, policy-driven research. LPI’s work has been rigorously reviewed by academic experts and presented at national conferences, including the British Conference of Undergraduate Research.

Media Contact:

Joseph Clark

President, Leeds Policy Institute

07592 461606 | bn224jc@leeds.ac.uk

Notes to Editors:

• The full policy paper is available upon request.

• The paper examines legislative and technological shortcomings that make the UK vulnerable to state-sponsored disinformation, particularly through encrypted messaging apps and AI-generated content.

• Case studies include examples of influence operations targeting UK diaspora communities and exploiting AI for tailored manipulation.

• The LPI is based at the University of Leeds and produces independent, evidence led research to inform UK policy.