The government has announced the launch of a new app designed protect businesses and the public from espionage.

It said that the new platform, called ‘Think Before you Link’, will enable users of social media to “identify the hallmarks of fake profiles used by foreign spies and other malicious actors” and enable them to report suspicious accounts.

The government claims that in the past 12 months more than 10,000 Brits have been targeted on social media sites, including LinkedIn and Facebook.

It said that in the first half of 2021, LinkedIn stopped 11.6m fake accounts at registration.

The platform, which has been developed by behavioural scientists, is part of the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure’s (CPNI) ‘Think Before You Link’ campaign.

“The online threat via social media is increasing, with fake profiles on sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook being created on an industrial scale,” said lead minister for cyber security Steve Barclay. “Many of these profiles are established as an elaborate ruse for eliciting details from either officials or members of the public who may have access to information relating to our national security.

“It is therefore crucial that we do all we can to protect ourselves and our information, ensuring those who we connect with online are who they say they are. This new app will be an important tool in that endeavour.”

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