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Investigations and intelligence updates

Issue 15: November 2025

Investigations and intelligence updates

Editor's note

Emeric Bernard-Jones
Emeric Bernard‑Jones

In this edition, we examine Tanzania's internet blackout during its contested October 2025 general election, focusing on how digital censorship can backfire, drawing international scrutiny rather than suppressing it. We also cover MI5's warning about Chinese intelligence operatives using LinkedIn to cultivate UK decision-makers, part of a broader pattern of foreign interference we've tracked throughout the year. Finally, we analyse the geopolitical tensions surrounding rare earth elements, where China's export controls and near-monopoly on processing continue to reshape global supply chains.  

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Tanzania’s internet blackout and the risks of controlling the narrative

In late October 2025, Tanzania’s Government imposed a nationwide internet blackout in the run‑up to its general election. The shutdown coincided with escalating reports of opposition suppression, abductions and politically‑motivated violence across the country, culminating in approximately 800 deaths, according to Tanzanian opposition parties

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The spy who LinkedIn’d me

On 18 November 2025, the British domestic intelligence agency MI5 informed Members of Parliament and peers that operatives for the Chinese Ministry of State Security were actively attempting to cultivate access to the UK’s decision‑making ecosystem by engaging individuals through headhunters and professional networks such as LinkedIn.

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Mineral impact: Rare earths competition and strategic risks

In recent years, the rare earth elements (REEs) sector has become a focus of geopolitical manoeuvring and business strategy. These 17 critical minerals are integral to a wide range of industries, including defence, semiconductors, electric vehicles and renewable energy.

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