The University of Sheffield has denied accusations that it has been ‘spying’ on students who have advocated for Palestine.
This comes following a joint investigation by Al Jazeera, a news company, and Liberty, which found that 12 universities, including the University of Sheffield, paid around £440,000 to a private intelligence firm to provide briefings on potential risks using social media, focusing on student protests and the pro-Palestinian movement.
The university has defended their use of horizon scanning – using public information to assess potential risks – by explaining that the services are there to help them plan effectively and to ensure protests can take place safely.
A spokesperson from the University of Sheffield said, “Our priority is always to maintain a safe environment for students, staff, and visitors while actively supporting freedom of speech and lawful protest.
“We do not share data with these providers, and they are not briefed to monitor individuals or actively monitor students’ social media accounts.”
There is no indication that this is illegal, and the university says it is “incorrect to suggest routine horizon scanning is intended to discourage activism”.
The Al Jazeera and Liberty investigation was based on Freedom of Information requests which were sent to more than 150 institutions and found that the University of Sheffield and 11 others had used the services of Horus Security Limited.
The security firm, created by former lieutenant colonel Jonathan Whitley and founded in Oxford, offers specialised intelligence, security consultancy, and screening services drawing on publicly available information from news outlets and social media.
This investigation comes amid heightened tensions surrounding protesting for Palestine across the UK, with tighter restrictions on protests.
Colonel Tim Collins, listed on the website as a senior leader of Horus Global, has previously made controversial comments in the Daily Express in response to pro-Palestine demonstrations around Remembrance Day in 2023, suggesting that “people who misbehave should face immediate deportation”.
He also said: “For people who are in the country with permission to stay, it should be withdrawn.”
This investigation has raised a broader issue involving the ethics between balancing universities’ campus safety and their right to express political views.