UK's MI6 spy agency to target dark web for new recruits, including in Russia

LONDON — Britain's spy agency is going dark — the dark web, specifically — for new recruits.

The Foreign Office said Thursday that MI6 is aiming to recruit new spies for the U.K., including in Russia, through the launch of a web portal on the dark web.

It said that the agency's new secure messaging platform, called “Silent Courier," will harness the anonymity of the dark web for the first time as it seeks to bolster the U.K.'s defenses against global instability, international terrorism and hostile state intelligence activity.

The platform will enable anyone, anywhere in the world who has access to sensitive information relating to terrorism or hostile intelligence activity to securely contact the U.K. and offer their services.

“As the world changes, and the threats we’re facing multiply, we must ensure the U.K. is always one step ahead of our adversaries," new Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said. “Our world-class intelligence agencies are at the coalface of this challenge, working behind the scenes to keep British people safe.”

The portal will be available from Friday, with instructions on how to use it publicly available on MI6’s verified YouTube channel. Users are recommended to access it through trustworthy VPNs and devices not linked to themselves.

“Our virtual door is open to you," outgoing MI6 chief Richard Moore is expected to say in Istanbul at the portal's launch.

The launch follows a similar approach by the U.S.’s Central Intelligence Agency, which published videos on social media channels to target potential Russian spies in 2023.