According to a report by i newspaper, the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) prepared a secret dossier on an academic's social media posts supporting transgender rights, Black Lives Matter, lecturer strikes, and criticisms of No 10 amid a free speech row with universities. The 11-page internal government dossier catalogues three years' worth of the academic's social media activity on X alongside the academic literature and events they are due to host in the coming months. The surveillance claims come amid an ongoing free speech row facing the government, with ministers being accused of trying to silence academics despite promising to uphold academic freedom. The University and College Union (UCU), which represents the academic, has called the revelations "highly disturbing" and raised questions about why "the government is compiling records on academics."
The Guardian has previously reported the government's monitoring of educational experts and teaching staff, including assistants and librarians.
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