London,\u00a029th\u00a0April 2026\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has\u00a0issued letters\u00a0to\u00a012\u00a0UK\u00a0universities\u00a0in relation to a recent investigation conducted by Al Jazeera and Liberty Investigates,\u00a0which\u00a0revealed\u00a0them\u00a0to\u00a0have\u00a0paid\u00a0private intelligence and security firms to monitor, profile, and assess\u00a0pro-Palestinian\u00a0students and academic staff.\u00a0The letters\u00a0outline immediate and substantive steps that the universities must take to mitigate ongoing legal risks.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0security\u00a0firm,\u00a0Horus Security Consultancy Limited, undertook the systematic collection, analysis, and dissemination of information relating to individuals\u2019 political opinions,\u00a0associations\u00a0and lawful activism, including through social media monitoring, speaker vetting, and intelligence-style reporting.\u00a0Concerningly, these\u00a0practices appear to have been undertaken without the knowledge or consent of affected individuals and, in some cases, may have informed institutional decision-making.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
These revelations, which only came to light after an extensive investigation by Al Jazeera English and Liberty Investigates,\u00a0exposes the universities to\u00a0serious\u00a0and overlapping legal risks under data protection law, human rights law, higher education regulatory frameworks, and public law principles \u2013 which ICJP has outlined in our legal letters to the respective universities.\u00a0It is also an appalling, yet unsurprising disclosure that\u00a0speaks to the increasing patterns of hostility, aggression, and crackdown on pro-Palestine protests and organisers in the UK.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Horus, which describes itself as a \u201cleading intelligence\u201d firm, has been paid at least \u00a3440,000 by universities since 2022. The use of their\u00a0surveillance and profiling tools in relation to political expression by some of the UK\u2019s most respected\u00a0academic institutions creates a clear chilling effect which not only discourages students and academics from\u00a0participating\u00a0in lawful\u00a0debate, but\u00a0also undermines\u00a0institutional commitments to academic freedom.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
These revelations are even more troubling given the lack of public scrutiny faced by private companies such as Horus. This kind of Orwellian surveillance is\u00a0proceeding\u00a0largely unchecked, against a backdrop of increasing crackdowns on pro-Palestinian student activism in the UK,\u00a0from universities, police forces and the national government.\u00a0This formspart of a broader pattern of encroachment on civil liberties across the country.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In order to\u00a0mitigate\u00a0ongoing legal\u00a0risks, ICJP has outlined\u00a0immediate and substantive steps that the universities must take to ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory obligations. These steps include cessation of surveillance,\u00a0disposal of information collected and\u00a0disclosure\u00a0of contracts and policies relating to such practices,\u00a0including handling,\u00a0automation\u00a0and GDPR compliance,\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00d3rlaith\u00a0Roe, ICJP\u2019s Public Affairs and Communications Officer, said:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0seeing here is a deeply troubling escalation in the monitoring of lawful\u00a0pro-Palestinian\u00a0advocacy\u00a0on UK campuses. The outsourcing of surveillance to\u00a0private intelligence\u00a0firms, without transparency or consent,\u00a0exposes these universities to\u00a0legal risks, as well as undermining the principles of\u00a0universities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Universities\u00a0should be places where open debate is encouraged, not environments that foster fear and self-censorship. There must now be urgent scrutiny of these practices, and clear accountability for those involved.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
ENDS\u00a0<\/p>\n
Notes for Editors:\u00a0<\/p>\n
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians is an independent organisation of lawyers, politicians and academics who support the rights of Palestinians and aim to protect their rights through the law.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
For more information, to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please contact the ICJP news desk at\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n