Universities in the UK reassured arms companies they would monitor students\u2019 chat groups and social media accounts after firms raised concerns about campus protests, according to internal emails.<\/p>\n
One university said it would conduct \u201cactive monitoring of social media\u201d for any evidence of plans to demonstrate against Rolls-Royce<\/a> at a careers fair.<\/p>\n A second appeared to agree to a request from Raytheon UK, the British wing of a major US defence contractor, to \u201cmonitor university chat groups\u201d before a campus visit.<\/p>\n Another university responded to a defence company\u2019s \u201csecurity questionnaire\u201d seeking information about social media posts suggestive of imminent protests over the firm\u2019s alleged role in fuelling war, including in Gaza.<\/p>\n The universities\u2019 apparent compliance with the sensitivities of arms companies before careers fairs has emerged in emails obtained by the Guardian and Liberty Investigates<\/a> after freedom of information (FoI) requests.<\/p>\n Jo Grady, the general secretary of the University and College Union, said student protesters \u201cshould be supported by their universities, not surveilled by them\u201d. She said: \u201cIt is utterly shameful that so many universities have spent time and resources surveilling students who are engaged in peaceful protest against a genocide, and that some have seemingly done so on the say-so of defence companies.\u201d<\/p>\n There have been large-scale pro-Palestinian protests by students on campuses across the UK in the past two years and demonstrations at careers fairs against companies with Israeli government links.<\/p>\n The Association of University Chief Security Officers (Aucso) launched a coordinated effort to prevent protests \u201caffecting our students\u2019 career advancement\u201d, according to notes released under FoI laws from a January 2025 presentation by Aucso to Universities UK, the body representing vice-chancellors.<\/p>\n Aucso, which has security staff at more than 140 universities, wrote that its members \u201cmonitor[ed] media\/social media\u201d and deployed \u201cstatic officers (at entrance points near the targeted company) and mobile officers (to monitor surrounding areas and for rapid response)\u201d during events.<\/p>\n Aucso security staff also used bodycams to capture video for \u201clegal\/disciplinary proceedings\u201d, among other measures, the email said.<\/p>\n Aucso was approached for comment.<\/p>\n Defence companies that individually raised concerns with institutions before careers fairs about the potential for protests were offered reassurance, emails suggest.<\/p>\n Loughborough University told a recruitment firm running a \u201cRolls-Royce roadshow\u201d that its security team were conducting \u201cactive monitoring of social media \u2026 to provide early intelligence about protests\u201d. It was doing so, it wrote, as \u201cprotest has been a concern for employers in recent times\u201d.<\/p>\n A Loughborough University spokesperson said previous masked protests by Loughborough Action for Palestine (LAFP), a group that says it is made up of staff, students and alumni, had caused some students to feel unsafe amid allegations of antisemitism.<\/p>\n \u201cWe observe the group\u2019s public feed occasionally so as to forewarn those who may be affected in advance of any protests. We are unapologetic for this. We do not surveil students\u2019 social media,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n LAFP responded in a statement: \u201cWe are extremely concerned but unsurprised that a few peaceful protests on campus have been perceived as threats to student safety and have been weaponised to \u2018justify\u2019 surveillance of students by university management.\u201d<\/p>\n Rolls-Royce declined to comment.<\/p>\n Emails from Heriot-Watt University<\/a> (HWU) suggest Raytheon UK asked the university to \u201cmonitor university chat groups\u201d on its behalf before a careers fair, prompting the university to agree to \u201cimplement the measures you have suggested\u201d.<\/p>\n A HWU spokesperson said the university \u201cstrongly refuted\u201d any claims it monitored students\u2019 private correspondence, adding that safeguarding staff did not have access to any student chat groups or online discussion forums. The university did not provide further explanation for its response to the arms company. Raytheon declined to comment.<\/p>\n Further emails suggest BAE Systems<\/a> required Glasgow university to complete security questions before agreeing to attend events. A \u201cuniversity security questionnaire\u201d sent to Glasgow by the defence company asked if the institution was \u201caware of any social media protests posts or videos\u201d.<\/p>\n In May this year, Glasgow university\u2019s careers service staff met the arms firm Leonardo, whose employee afterwards wrote: \u201cIt\u2019s reassuring to know that we\u2019re not going to have the [sic] step back because we can\u2019t find a route to engaging with students and keep [sic] our staff safe.\u201d<\/p>\n Leonardo was approached for comment. The University of Glasgow<\/a> did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n