Tom Watson, from Worcester, is accused of orchestrating a doxxing campaign through an X account known as “Big Time Charlie,” targeting anti-racism activists, business executives, and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The campaign group Hope Not Hate named Watson as the operator behind the account, which had nearly 50,000 followers and was deactivated shortly after exposure. The X account allegedly used artificial intelligence to scrape data from LinkedIn and other websites to construct a database dubbed “Traitorbase.”
Recruitment Firm Owner Alleged Behind Big Time Charlie X Account
The “Big Time Charlie” account gained prominence amid online harassment directed at RNLI staff involved in rescuing people trying to cross the Channel in small boats. According to archived online records and other evidence, the account originally bore the name Tom Watson and featured references to Puerto Rico, where Watson’s recruitment firm, Futura Energy Group, is based according to its LinkedIn profile. The account posted on 20 July that it was in Zurich and shared a photo from the grounds of the Vitznauerhof hotel, while Watson posted an image from the same hotel on his LinkedIn profile two days later. The account also frequently praised hard-right MP Rupert Lowe and claimed to have donated £2,500 to Lowe’s Restore Britain party to join its “Cromwell Club.”
Did You Know? The “Big Time Charlie” account had amassed almost 50,000 followers on X before being deactivated almost immediately after campaign group Hope Not Hate alleged Tom Watson was behind it and after the Guardian approached him for comment.
Impact on Targeted Activists and Businesses
Targets of the doxxing campaign reported significant alarm following the online publication of their personal details. Chantelle Lunt, a Green party councillor in Merseyside involved with Stand Up to Racism, discovered her information on a shared spreadsheet and filed a report with the police. She described the current climate as horrendous, noting that people actively engaged with and encouraged the targeting. A targeted charity spokesperson stated that the misinformation campaign attempts to sow discord and division among communities and distracts organizations from helping vulnerable populations. A targeted businessperson whose photographs and executive details were posted online described the incident as bizarre and unpleasant, though it did not lead to immediate problems.
Tom Watson Alleged to Run Big Time Charlie Account
Who is accused of running the Big Time Charlie X account?
Tom Watson, a recruitment firm owner from Worcester who divides his time between the UK and US, is alleged to be behind the account.
What methods did the Big Time Charlie account use to gather information?
The account appears to have used artificial intelligence to scrape data from LinkedIn and other sites to build a database referred to as Traitorbase.
Which groups and individuals were targeted by the account?
Targets included staff from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, anti-racism activists such as Green party councillor Chantelle Lunt, a targeted charity, and executives at businesses involved in hiring minority ethnic staff.
How might increased scrutiny on AI data-scraping and social media doxxing impact recruitment and tech practices moving forward?
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