Recruitment Firm Owner Accused of Doxxing Campaign Against RNLI and Anti-Racism Activists

Doxxing Campaign Allegations

Tom Watson, owner of a recruitment firm, has been accused of being behind a doxxing campaign targeting the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), anti-racism activists, and business executives involved in recruiting Black, Asian, and minority ethnic workers. The campaign was conducted through an X account named "Big Time Charlie."

Account Activity and Deactivation

The "Big Time Charlie" X account, which had nearly 50,000 followers, gained prominence for harassing RNLI staff over their involvement in rescuing Channel migrants. The account, which had a history of racist comments, reportedly used AI to scrape data from LinkedIn and other sites to compile a "Traitorbase." It was deactivated shortly after the campaign group Hope Not Hate identified Watson as its operator and after the Guardian sought comment from him.

Political Affiliations and Impact

The X account frequently praised hard-right MP Rupert Lowe and claimed to have donated £2,500 to Lowe’s Restore Britain party. Targets of the doxxing, such as Green party councillor Chantelle Lunt, reported police involvement after their details were published online. A targeted charity spokesperson described the campaign as a cynical attempt to spread misinformation and sow discord.