British Universities Paid Firm to Monitor Pro-Palestine Student Activism

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Twelve British universities have paid a private security firm, Horus Security Consultancy Limited, to monitor student social media activity and conduct background checks on individuals, including those who have expressed solidarity with Palestine. An investigation by Al Jazeera English and Liberty Investigates has uncovered evidence that Horus trawled through student social media feeds and conducted counter-terror threat assessments on behalf of some of Britain’s most elite institutions.

The firm, which describes itself as a leading intelligence provider, has received at least £440,000 ($594,000) in payments from universities since 2022. The universities that paid for the services include Manchester Metropolitan University, Imperial College London, and the University of Oxford.

Internal documents obtained by Al Jazeera English and Liberty Investigates reveal that the University of Bristol provided Horus with a list of student protest groups it wished to receive alerts about, including pro-Palestinian and animal rights activists. The firm has also been paid by universities such as the University of Sheffield, the University of Leicester, and Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Horus was established in 2006 as a project within the University of Oxford’s security team. The company’s website lists former military intelligence officials among its senior leaders. In recent years, one of these individuals has made public statements criticizing pro-Gaza demonstrations in Western countries.

The universities that paid for Horus’ services have responded to requests for comment, with some stating that they used the firm’s services to identify potential security risks and maintain a safe environment on campus. However, others have denied that their payments constituted surveillance or monitoring of students.

Source: Al Jazeera