UK Faces Growing Online Threats, Senior Officials Warn

London, UK – The United Kingdom is facing an escalating threat of online attacks, fueled by the increasing exploitation of technology and social media platforms by hostile countries, extremist groups, and far-right organizations, according to senior British police officials.

Speaking at the Metropolitan Police headquarters, Vicki Evans, a senior national coordinator for counterterrorism, emphasized the need for technology companies to collaborate with law enforcement agencies to combat the growing threat. Evans noted that the threat from hostile states is the ‘most rapidly escalating mission’ for counterterrorism police, with over 20 Iranian-backed plots identified in 2025, including assassinations, kidnappings, and other serious crimes against the UK.

Iranian and Russian Threats on the Rise

Evidence of the Iranian threat includes the stabbing of a journalist from a Persian-language television station in July, which a judge attributed to Iran’s government. Additionally, a Ukrainian man and Romanian man were jailed for their role in setting fire to property linked to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a plot described as Russian state-backed sabotage.

Laurence Taylor, head of counterterrorism police, highlighted the increasing threat from far-right groups and hostile states, stating that the threat level in the UK was raised in April from ‘substantial’ to ‘severe’ due to the growth of extreme far-right ideologies.

According to Evans, teenagers as young as 15 have been arrested in relation to proxy plots, with the challenge for law enforcement being that ‘anyone could be targeted,’ particularly online.

Evans also warned of the dangers of ‘lawful but awful’ content online, including extreme violence and gore, which can create a skewed sense of what is normal or acceptable among young people. She emphasized the need for pressure to be put on technology companies to help curb harmful content online, citing the government’s plan to ban social media for those under 16 as insufficient.

Key statistics and findings include:

• Over 20 Iranian-backed plots identified in 2025, including assassinations, kidnappings, and other serious crimes against the UK.
• Teenagers as young as 15 have been arrested in relation to proxy plots.
• The threat level in the UK was raised in April from ‘substantial’ to ‘severe’ due to the growth of extreme far-right ideologies.

Online Exploitation of Young People

Evans highlighted the exploitation of young people online by extremist groups, who design content to attract them by blending it with propaganda and gaming footage. The young are then prompted to carry out violent acts, such as ‘recreating’ horrific attacks from video games in real life.

She also warned of the dangers of ‘sadistic online groups’ that ask people to compete against each other to cause harm online and offline, including through cyberattacks, extremism, serious violence, or child sexual abuse or terrorism.

Evans emphasized the need for technology companies to work with law enforcement agencies to combat the growing threat of online attacks and to put pressure on governments to regulate harmful content online.