Written question asked by Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 6 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 July 2026 (named day). It was answered by Kanishka Narayan (Labour) on Tuesday, 14 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

National Security Online Information Team: Belfast

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the National Security Online Information Team conducted any work in relation to the recent unrest in Belfast.

Answer: The National Security Online Information Team (NSOIT) leads the department’s operational response to online information threats. Its publicly available remit, which is kept under review by DSIT ministers, is public safety or national security risks to UK audiences. The team conducts open-source analysis of the online information environment to identify and assess potential threats within this remit. This includes mis- and disinformation arising from incidents such as the recent unrest in Belfast and Southampton.

Secondary information