A leaked document revealed that the Institute of Economic Affairs participated in an advance press engagement that helped fuel a hostile PR campaign against the 2019 Eat-Lancet report. The briefing contributed to framing the report as an elitist attack on ordinary people, a move seen as aligning with divisive, reactionary messaging.

The Institute of Economic Affairs published research that exposed the extensive use of taxpayers' money by pressure groups, or 'sock puppets', to lobby government and Parliament. This research has contributed to highlighting misuse of public funds and informed subsequent government reforms targeting anti-lobbying measures.

Recent annual accounts show that the Institute of Economic Affairs registered 5,265 media hits in 2023, a 43% increase from previous years. This surge, coupled with longstanding concerns over opaque funding sources and dark money, has raised questions about the think tank's influence on public policy and media narratives.

IEA Head of Cultural Affairs Marc Glendening authored a piece in Reaction warning that emerging censorship-supporting authoritarianism threatens Britain’s liberal democracy by adopting a guise of inclusivity and equality while enforcing restrictive speech policies.

Investigations reveal that the IEA has regularly attended closed-door meetings with Conservative MPs and other right-wing think tanks, with its director admitting to being 'in the Brexit-influencing game'. The think tank has been accused of providing US donors and corporate funders such as British American Tobacco with direct access to government ministers, raising serious concerns about transparency and undue influence in politics.

In 2013, the Institute of Economic Affairs accepted a £15,000 donation from an undisclosed source, which it used to develop proposals restricting charities from using public funds to lobby government officials. This contributed to a policy change announced in 2016 that critics argue limits democratic input.