The government's latest blueprint for protecting the nation has come under fire for overlooking a critical modern danger zone: the internet. The UK's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation has issued a stark warning that the 2025 national security strategy fails to adequately address escalating online threats from terrorists and hostile states.
A 'very surprising omission' in national defence
Jonathan Hall KC, who has held the post of independent reviewer for six years, labelled the lack of focus on digital risks a "very surprising omission". He argues that online platforms now constitute a "major vector of threat" to the United Kingdom, a danger he believes is on par with traditional military challenges.
Hall stated that the imperative to defend against online threats, which are exploited extensively by both terrorist groups and nation-states, is now little different from the need for robust air, naval and land forces. His criticism comes despite Prime Minister Keir Starmer's claim that the new strategy would lead to a "hardening and sharpening of our approach" against adversaries like Russia.
In a speech delivered on Tuesday, Hall was expected to assert that not dwelling more on the implications of online threats to national security "is a gross error". He emphasised that digital life is central to national security and should not be dismissed as a passing concern.
The grim reality of radicalisation and attack planning online
Drawing on his extensive experience, Hall revealed that almost all terrorism in the UK now originates online. He provided chilling examples to illustrate the scale and nature of the threat:
- On the popular children's gaming platform Roblox, users can enact simulated school massacres or mosque shootings.
- A chatbot was used to encourage a man to take a crossbow to Windsor Castle in an attempt to assassinate the late Queen.
- Dylan Earl, recently sentenced to 23 years in prison, was recruited online by the Wagner group to orchestrate an arson attack on a warehouse holding aid for Ukraine.
"All this is quite apart from the technical opportunities given to adversaries for hostile surveillance, disruption through cyber-attacks [and] new attack methodologies," Hall added.
While the government's strategy, published in June, calls for improved cybersecurity and acknowledges technology's transformative role in war and security, its primary emphasis is on boosting defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.
Questions over the Online Safety Act's real power
Hall further accused the government of overstating the safety of online life in Britain. He pointed to a significant gap in the much-heralded Online Safety Act, introduced in 2023. His researchers discovered an Islamic State-affiliated Facebook account that had posted an instructional document on the "deadliest places for stabbing" on a human body. This content remained accessible for at least a month after being reported.
"Nothing in the Online Safety Act allows the authorities to take down content or to order tech companies to take it down," Hall clarified. He called for greater public clarity about the legislation's actual capabilities, stating: "Digital life is too important for us to be left in the dark."
In a related development, Dame Melanie Dawes, chief executive of communications regulator Ofcom, told MPs on Monday that it is investigating whether social media companies have sufficient systems to quickly assess and remove illegal hate and terror material. She warned that formal enforcement action would follow any discovery of significant compliance failures.
Hall also advocated for a reform of surveillance laws, suggesting that pre-digital regulations protecting the right to a private life may be unduly restricting counter-terrorism authorities from analysing publicly available information online.
In response, a government spokesperson defended the UK's counter-terrorism framework as "one of the most robust in the world" and reiterated that the Online Safety Act mandates digital platforms to prevent illegal content, including terrorist material.
