Foreign Influence Registration Scheme Launched by UK

A for­eign influ­ence reg­is­tra­tion scheme has been offi­cial­ly launched by the UK, aim­ing to increase trans­paren­cy and counter for­eign inter­fer­ence in domes­tic affairs. On 1 July 2025, GOV.UK report­ed that the scheme required indi­vid­u­als and enti­ties to reg­is­ter cer­tain arrange­ments with for­eign gov­ern­ments. The arti­cle begins:

The UK gov­ern­ment has launched a new For­eign Influ­ence Reg­is­tra­tion Scheme (FIRS) to increase trans­paren­cy of for­eign influ­ence in UK pol­i­tics and pub­lic life. The scheme requires cer­tain indi­vid­u­als and enti­ties to reg­is­ter arrange­ments with for­eign gov­ern­ments or over­seas enti­ties that seek to influ­ence UK polit­i­cal or pub­lic life. The new require­ment is part of the Nation­al Secu­ri­ty Act 2023, which aims to counter hos­tile state activ­i­ty and pro­tect UK inter­ests. The scheme will be over­seen by the Home Office, with sup­port from law enforce­ment agen­cies. It is designed to help the UK bet­ter under­stand and respond to for­eign inter­fer­ence. The gov­ern­ment has stat­ed that the scheme will not restrict law­ful advo­ca­cy or lob­by­ing but will ensure greater accountability.

Read more: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-launches-foreign-influence-registration-scheme

Key Points

• The for­eign influ­ence reg­is­tra­tion scheme man­dates reg­is­tra­tion for cer­tain for­eign arrange­ments aimed at influ­enc­ing UK politics.

• The ini­tia­tive is part of the Nation­al Secu­ri­ty Act 2023, tar­get­ing hos­tile state activ­i­ty and pro­tect­ing nation­al interests.

• The Home Office and law enforce­ment agen­cies will over­see com­pli­ance and enforce­ment of the new regulations.

• The scheme aims to increase trans­paren­cy while allow­ing law­ful advo­ca­cy and lob­by­ing to continue.

Foreign Influence Operations in the United Kingdom: Threats and Countermeasures

For­eign influ­ence oper­a­tions in the UK are increas­ing­ly com­plex, with state-backed actors employ­ing a mix of ide­o­log­i­cal, polit­i­cal, and oper­a­tional strate­gies to shape pub­lic dis­course and pol­i­cy. The UK gov­ern­ment has respond­ed to these chal­lenges by mov­ing to place Iran on the high­est tier of its For­eign Influ­ence Reg­is­ter, reflect­ing height­ened con­cerns about Tehran’s aggres­sive polit­i­cal influ­ence activ­i­ties. Russ­ian influ­ence oper­a­tives have demon­strat­ed a will­ing­ness to use bold, high-lev­el schemes abroad, with sim­i­lar tactics—including dig­i­tal cam­paigns and lever­ag­ing dias­po­ra networks—observed in UK-focused oper­a­tions. Mean­while, China’s unit­ed front sys­tem oper­ates exten­sive­ly with­in the UK, uti­liz­ing elite cap­ture, dias­po­ra orga­ni­za­tions, and media influ­ence to shape pub­lic dis­course and pres­sure institutions.

Recent gov­ern­men­tal coun­ter­mea­sures have includ­ed a cap on for­eign own­er­ship of British news­pa­pers, a move intend­ed to sup­port the indus­try but rais­ing con­cerns about edi­to­r­i­al inde­pen­dence and exter­nal con­trol. Debates over cap­ping polit­i­cal dona­tions con­tin­ue, with pro­pos­als being made to lim­it how much indi­vid­u­als and com­pa­nies can donate to polit­i­cal par­ties. Expert assess­ments high­light the ongo­ing risk of for­eign inter­fer­ence through both overt and covert means, empha­siz­ing the need for vig­i­lance and robust safe­guards to pro­tect the UK’s demo­c­ra­t­ic integrity.

Exter­nal References:

• UK to allow for­eign states 15% stake in news­pa­pers – BBC News

• Gov­ern­ment may cap UK polit­i­cal dona­tions to lim­it for­eign influ­ence – The Guardian

• Assess­ing the risk of for­eign influ­ence in the UK – GMFUS

Dis­claimer:

The Glob­al Influ­ence Oper­a­tions Report (GIOR) employs AI through­out the post­ing process, includ­ing gen­er­at­ing sum­maries of news items, the intro­duc­tion, key points, and often the “con­text” sec­tion. We rec­om­mend ver­i­fy­ing all infor­ma­tion before use. Addi­tion­al­ly, images are AI-gen­er­at­ed and intend­ed sole­ly for illus­tra­tive pur­pos­es. While they rep­re­sent the events or indi­vid­u­als dis­cussed, they should not be inter­pret­ed as real-world photography.