LONDON: A recent investigation by Al Jazeera English and Liberty Investigates has revealed that 12 British universities hired a private intelligence firm to monitor student activists and academics, including those expressing support for Palestine.
The firm, Horus Security Consultancy Limited—run by former military intelligence officials—reportedly analyzed students’ social media activity and conducted covert counter-terrorism risk assessments.
Since 2022, universities have collectively paid the company at least £440,000 for its services. According to internal documents cited in the report, individuals monitored included a Palestinian academic invited to speak at Manchester Metropolitan University and a pro-Gaza PhD student at London School of Economics.
In one instance, University of Bristol allegedly shared a list of student groups—including pro-Palestinian and animal rights activists—with the firm, requesting alerts about their activities.Other institutions named include University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University College London, King’s College London, University of Sheffield, University of Leicester, University of Nottingham, and Cardiff Metropolitan University.
There is no indication that the activities were unlawful. However, the revelations have raised concerns about academic freedom and student privacy. Some universities responded by defending their actions. The University of Sheffield stated that external services were used for general “horizon scanning” of potential disruptions, not to suppress activism.
Meanwhile, Imperial College London rejected claims that its engagement with the firm amounted to surveillance. Several institutions, including Oxford, UCL, King’s College London, Leicester, and Nottingham, did not respond to requests for comment. Attempts to obtain a response from Horus Security Consultancy were also unsuccessful.
