The University of Manchester is accused of paying Horus Security Consultancy to compile intelligence on two guest speakers, invited to discuss ‘geopolitical issues’, in a new report by Al Jazeera and Liberty Investigates. The University declined to identify the speakers or say whether they were associated with pro-Palestine activism.
11 other universities were named in the report as having collaborated with the Horus Security Consultancy to compile intelligence on students and academics.
Across the universities, this frequently included those who had expressed support for Pro-Palestinian causes.
A joint investigation by Al Jazeera English and Liberty Investigates found that the firm, Horus Security Consultancy, has received more than £444,000 from universities since 2022 to provide intelligence briefings.
Horus Security Consultancy offer a service they call “Insight“, which they describe as a “service [that] provides timely, high quality intelligence reporting for any organisation”.
The firm itself is run by former military intelligence and security officials. Colonel Tim Collins is listed as one of the four senior leaders of the company, and, in recent years, has been known to blame the rising number of pro-Palestine demonstrations on a ‘Russian/Iranian orchestrated media campaign’.
He has also referred to pro-Palestine protestors as ‘anti-Israel thugs‘ and called for non-British protestors ‘who misbehave’ to be deported from the UK.
According to documents obtained through Freedom of Information requests, Horus carried out ‘counter-terrorism‘ style assessments on campus activism across some of the other eleven institutions, including a detailed background check on a Palestinian-American academic invited to speak at Manchester Metropolitan University.
They were also found to have monitored student social media accounts, compiling posts from campus activism into daily intelligence briefings and individual profiles sold to universities. Pro-Palestine protesters were among those repeatedly flagged.
According to the firm’s website, it has been integrating AI into its operations since 2022, something that, according to Gina Romero, the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, ‘raises profound legal concerns’.
Romero emphasised that using AI allows companies, who are free from public scrutiny, to collect a disproportionate amount of data on students for unknown purposes.
Civil liberties groups warn that the approach taken by the twelve universities blurs the line between safeguarding and surveillance, creating a climate in which students fear being monitored for engaging in political activity, especially in relation to Palestine.
Trade Unions and rights groups have previously condemned the use of private intelligence firms on campuses, arguing that universities should be defending free expression rather than outsourcing surveillance that intensifies a culture of control.
Seven of the universities have refused Freedom of Information requests from Al Jazeera and Liberty Investigates in light of this information. Six argued that making them freely available would undermine the firm’s business model.
Jo Grady, General Secretary of the University and College Union, told Al Jazeera that it was ‘shameful’ that these institutions had ‘wasted hundreds of thousands of pounds spying on their own students’.
A University of Manchester spokesperson said: “We have engaged Horus twice to provide additional due diligence on visiting speakers in order to fulfil the university’s legal obligations under the Prevent duty. Additional checks were commissioned due to specific
risk factors that required further independent information. In both cases the events were allowed to proceed and the speakers were permitted to attend.
“We have not commissioned such a report on a student or colleague.”
