The University of Leicester (UoL) is one of twelve British universities revealed to have paid a private intelligence firm to monitor protests, a joint investigation by Al Jazeera English and Liberty Investigates has found.
Horus Security Consultancy Limited, a firm run by former military intelligence officials that describes itself as a “leading intelligence” company, was contracted to trawl through student social media feeds and conduct covert counter-terror threat assessments on behalf of some of the UK’s most prestigious institutions, including Leicester.
The twelve universities paid Horus a combined total of at least £440,000 ($594,000) since 2022 to monitor campus protest activity. Those placed under surveillance reportedly included students and academics who had expressed solidarity with Palestine.
Other institutions named in the investigation include the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University College London, King’s College London, the University of Bristol, the University of Sheffield, the University of Nottingham, Manchester Metropolitan University, the London School of Economics, and Cardiff Metropolitan University.
The findings emerged after Al Jazeera English and Liberty Investigates submitted freedom of information requests to more than 150 universities across the country. Internal documents obtained through the investigation revealed that at least one university provided Horus with a direct list of student protest groups, including pro-Palestinian and animal rights activists — for which it wished to receive alerts.
A University of Leicester spokesperson said:
“The University of Leicester enlisted the help of Horus to horizon scan for issues which might affect the institution and its operations, including on-campus protests. The University supported lawful protests and worked with the organisers of protests to ensure they could proceed safely for all – protestors, students, staff and the public.
“The University did not share student data with Horus or brief it to monitor individuals. The University ended its contract with Horus to supply horizon scanning reports last year.”
This article is based on findings from a joint investigation by Al Jazeera English and Liberty Investigates.