British universities paid security firm to ‘spy’ on pro-Palestine students

Investigation reveals how a company led by ex-military intelligence officials scanned social media use and undertook background checks on a Palestinian guest speaker.

By Aaron Walawalkar

Published On 20 Apr 202620 Apr 2026

London, United Kingdom – Twelve British universities paid a private firm run by former military intelligence officials to “spy” on student protesters and academics, including those who have expressed solidarity with Palestine, it can be revealed.

A joint investigation by Al Jazeera English and Liberty Investigates has uncovered evidence that Horus Security Consultancy Limited trawled through student social media feeds and conducted secret counter-terror threat assessments on behalf of some of Britain’s most elite institutions.

Recommended Stories

list of 4 items

• list 1 of 4The attack on the right to protest in the UK is not just about Palestine
• list 2 of 4Blood tech: UK’s use of Israeli spyware that helps underpin a genocide
• list 3 of 4The Gaza Tribunal: A question of complicity
• list 4 of 4‘Index of Repression:’ documents 964 anti-Palestinian cases in the UK

end of list

Horus, which describes itself as a “leading intelligence” firm, has been paid at least 440,000 pounds ($594,000) by universities since 2022.

Among those monitored were a Palestinian academic invited to give a guest lecture at Manchester Metropolitan University and a pro-Gaza PhD student at the London School of Economics, according to internal documents.

In October 2024, the University of Bristol provided the firm with a list of student protest groups it wished to receive alerts about, an internal university email suggests. It included pro-Palestinian and animal rights activists.

In total, 12 universities paid the firm to monitor campus protest activity. Others include the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University College London (UCL), King’s College London (KCL), the University of Sheffield, the University of Leicester, the University of Nottingham and Cardiff Metropolitan University.

There is no suggestion that this activity is illegal.

These findings have come to light after Al Jazeera English and Liberty Investigates submitted freedom of information (FOI) requests to more than 150 universities.

All the institutions named in this article were approached for comment by Al Jazeera and Liberty Investigates.

The University of Oxford, UCL, KCL, the University of Leicester and the University of Nottingham did not respond to requests for comment.

The University of Sheffield said it used external services to “horizon scan” for issues which may affect the university, such as large-scale upcoming protests, and that it was “incorrect” to suggest this was intended to discourage activism. It added that it did not share student data with Horus or brief it to monitor individuals, and its priority is to maintain a safe environment while supporting lawful protest.

Imperial College London denied that the services it pays Horus for constitute the surveillance of students. It similarly said it is committed to free speech and that it uses Horus to “help identify potential security risks to its community, which might include protest activity within the vicinity of its campuses. All this information is drawn from the public domain”.