Recruitment firm owner accused of running doxxing campaign against RNLI and anti-racism activists

Tom Watson is alleged to have been behind the account, which had almost 50,000 followers and had become increasingly prominent in recent weeks as RNLI staff faced harassment and attacks online. Far-right activists have targeted the charity over its crews' involvement in rescuing people trying to cross the Channel in small boats.

The account, which has a history of racist comments, appears to have used AI to scrape data from LinkedIn and other sites to build a so-called "Traitorbase". It was removed almost immediately after Hope Not Hate made its allegation and after the Guardian approached Watson for comment.

The account frequently praised the hard-right MP Rupert Lowe and claimed to have donated £2,500 to his Restore Britain party and joined its "Cromwell Club" for activists who pay a certain level of donation.

Chantelle Lunt, a Green party councillor in Merseyside who has already been targeted by the far right, made a report to police after details about her were published by the account. "Someone told me that I had been doxxed and when I went to look I saw that details about me appeared to be on a spreadsheet which included reference to other people who were involved in Stand Up to Racism," she said. "The climate at the moment is horrendous and I'm no stranger to people targeting me and my family, but there's a big concern when this information is actively put out there. You can see people engaging with it and actively encouraging each other."

A spokesperson for a targeted charity said: "This is another example of a cynical attempt to spread misinformation that has unfortunately gone unchecked on social media platforms. This is an attempt to sow discord and division among communities and prevent organisations trying to help the most vulnerable communities in this country from operating at their full potential."

The account also posted the photographs and names of business executives said to have been involved in hiring minority ethnic staff. One businessperson who was targeted described the doxxing as "bizarre". Last month the RNLI warned supporters their personal information may have been hacked.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Doxxing can expose ordinary people, volunteers and charity workers to harassment and physical risk, and this campaign reportedly named individuals across the political and business spectrum.
The alleged use of AI to strip personal data from LinkedIn and other sites suggests such campaigns can be scaled up cheaply and quickly.
The targeting of the RNLI over Channel rescues shows how migration politics is spilling over into pressure on humanitarian organisations.

Background

The RNLI is a charity that provides search and rescue lifeboat services around the coasts of the UK and Ireland. It has been a recurring target of far-right criticism over its crews' involvement in rescuing people attempting to cross the English Channel in small boats. In September it warned supporters that their personal information may have been hacked, the Guardian has reported. Doxxing, the publication of private or identifying information without consent, is a long-established tactic of online harassment, and the alleged use of automated tools to gather that material marks a new twist on the practice. The Guardian approached Watson for comment before the account was deactivated; the source material does not record a public response from him.

Key Perspectives

Charities and activists targeted: Chantelle Lunt said the current climate is "horrendous" and expressed concern that people could see others engaging with the information and encouraging each other. A targeted charity said the activity was an attempt to "sow discord and division" that had gone unchecked on social media. Hope Not Hate: The campaign group named Watson publicly, and the account was deactivated almost immediately afterwards, indicating the identification disrupted the operation. Critics and observers: The charity spokesperson argued that social media companies, the media and politicians have a responsibility to clamp down on misinformation and the division it causes, pointing to a wider accountability gap on platforms.

What to Watch

Whether police act on Chantelle Lunt's report and any other complaints arising from the campaign.
Whether the account reappears under a new name, as deactivated doxxing accounts often do.
Whether X or other platforms take action against similar accounts using AI-scraped data.
Any response from Restore Britain or Rupert Lowe to the alleged £2,500 donation and the account's support.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Background

Key Perspectives

What to Watch

Sources