The Secret Intelligence Service of the United Kingdom, commonly known as MI6, launched on September 19 a new dark web portal to recruit operatives notably from Russia, China and Iran as the UK steps up its commitment to national security.
Harnessing the anonymity of the dark web for the first time, MI6’s new secure messaging platform – Silent Courier – enables anyone, anywhere in the world with access to sensitive information relating to terrorism or hostile intelligence activity to securely contact the UK and offer their services, the Foreign Office, the Secret Intelligence Service and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a statement.
The was made by the outgoing Chief of MI6, Sir Richard Moore, in Istanbul where he stressed in his speech on September 19 that the platform would make it easier for MI6 to recruit agents online.
“And, from today, you can now reach us securely online via our new dark web portal, Silent Courier. Our virtual front door harnesses the anonymity of the dark web so that anyone, anywhere in the world can make secure contact with MI6. So, contact us today via Silent Courier and choose a different future for yourself, for your family and for your country,” Moore said.
Today we’re asking those with sensitive information on global instability, international terrorism or hostile state intelligence activity to contact MI6 securely online.
Our virtual door is open to you. pic.twitter.com/VBfXVghD6K
— Richard Moore (@ChiefMI6) September 19, 2025
“Whilst Russia remains one of the key missions of MI6, the other three priorities, China, Iran and counter-terrorism, are proving to be enduring challenges too. Which is why the UK in 2025 needs an MI6 that can operate with agility and at scale. To achieve that goal, I am grateful successive Prime Ministers have recognised the need to fund our intelligence community appropriately, despite tough economic times,” Moore said.
The announcement is backed by the largest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War, ensuring that Britain and its allies are safe. “The first time that any of you sitting in this hall, in your careers will have looked forward to the certainty of 10 years of rising defense spending,” he said.
National security is the first duty of any government and the bedrock of the Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Plan for Change, Foreign Secretary Cooper said. “As the world changes, and the threats we’re facing multiply, we must ensure the UK is always one step ahead of our adversaries. Our world class intelligence agencies are at the coalface of this challenge, working behind the scenes to keep British people safe. Now we’re bolstering their efforts with cutting-edge tech so MI6 can recruit new spies for the UK – in Russia and around the world,” Cooper said.
Recruiting new spies by offering secure route to contact the UK
Instructions on how to access the portal will be publicly available on MI6’s verified YouTube channel as the UK reaches out to potential new agents in Russia and around the world. The UK’s Secret Intelligence Service advises individuals accessing its portal to use trustworthy VPNs and devices not linked to themselves, to mitigate interception and eavesdropping risks which exist in some countries.
National security is the foundation of the Government’s Plan for Change, the Foreign Office statement noted. “That’s why the UK has announced a generational uplift in defense spending, so that our intelligence community can continue to defend our way of life, keep working people safe and compete with our adversaries,” it read.
In his speech in Istanbul, Moore criticized Vladimir Putin, saying there is no evidence the Russian president has any interest in a negotiated peace. “I have seen absolutely no evidence that President Putin has any interest in a negotiated peace short of Ukrainian capitulation. He is stringing us along. Because the issue has and has always been sovereignty: Putin denies Ukraine’s sovereignty and its very existence as a country and a nation,” he said.
China: Friend or Foe?
In the same speech, the MI6 Chief argued that China in many respects straddles that dichotomy of opportunity and threat. “As Russia declines, so China rises. The 21st century will undoubtedly be defined by the rise of the ‘Middle Kingdom.’ A major player in the global system, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and a country that is seeking to deepen its regional alliances, China has unique responsibilities that come with its size and ambition,” he said.
Moore noted, however, that in many global common areas like climate change, secure Artificial Intelligence (Al) and world trade, China has a huge and welcome role to play. “We, in the UK, want a respectful and constructive relationship with China,” Moore said.
But China needs to stick to the established rules of engagement and non-interference that it publicly promotes. “I hear the concerns of my colleague, Director MI5 Sir Ken McCallum, about Chinese interference in the UK; and we, in the UK, will be robust in defending our freedoms, our way of life and our economic security,” Moore said.
Nuclear free Iran remains a priority
Turning to Iran which featured heavily throughout Moore’s period in office, the outgoing Chief of MI6 stressed that a nuclear free Iran must remain a priority, adding, “I hope the Iranian government can see that a prosperous and secure future lies in engagement and compromise, not blindly pursuing a strategy that destabilizes their neighborhood and puts them at odds with much of the rest of the world.”
“Their proxies, while bringing misery, violence and death to the region, have gained Iran nothing, and we must hope their humbling by Israel may bring an opportunity for a reset. That requires a change of mentality in Tehran, not yet detected in intelligence,” Moore said.
According to the Foreign Office, close cooperation between the UK and U.S. on intelligence is at the heart of the special relationship and their shared security – which is vital to deliver the UK Government’s Plan for Change.
MI6’s portal builds on a similar approach taken by the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The CIA published videos on social media channels to recruit potential new Russian operatives in 2023.
