MI6 was aiming to recruit new spies for the UK, including in Russia, through the launch of a web portal on the dark web, the Foreign Office said.
It said the agency's new secure messaging platform, Silent Courier, would harness the anonymity of the dark web for the first time as it seeks to bolster the UK's defences 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 UK and offer their services.
"As the world changes, and the threats we're facing multiply, we must ensure the UK 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 US's Central Intelligence Agency, which published videos on social media channels to target potential Russian spies in 2023.
17°C