The term “thought police” originates from George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, published in 1949. In the book, the Thought Police (or Thinkpol) are a secret organization that monitors and controls the thoughts of the citizens in the fictional totalitarian state of Oceania. The idea behind the Thought Police is to maintain control over not just the actions but also the thoughts of the populace, eliminating any possibility of rebellion or dissent against the government.
In contemporary usage, “thought police” refers to any attempt to regulate or censor people’s thoughts, opinions, or expressions, particularly in authoritarian societies or within certain political or social movements. The term is often used metaphorically to criticize practices that suppress free thought or speech, such as excessive political correctness, censorship, or surveillance.
The concept reflects concerns about surveillance, authoritarianism, and the loss of personal freedom, and has become a common term in discussions about privacy, government overreach, and freedom of expression.