Fifteen UK government departments have been compiling "secret files" on potential critics by monitoring their social media activity, in order to block them from speaking at public events. The departments advise officials to check experts' Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts, as well as conduct Google searches using specific terms like "criticism of government or prime minister". Human rights experts have deemed these monitoring practices unlawful, in breach of data protection laws, and potentially violating equality and human rights legislation.