LONDON: Several British universities assured major defense companies that they would monitor students’ chat groups and social media accounts amid fears of campus protests, according to newly released emails.
Documents obtained by The Guardian and Liberty Investigates under freedom of information laws show that Loughborough, Heriot-Watt, and Glasgow universities responded to concerns raised by firms including Rolls-Royce, Raytheon UK, and BAE Systems ahead of careers fairs.
At Loughborough, officials told a recruitment firm hosting a “Rolls-Royce roadshow” that security teams were carrying out “active monitoring of social media to provide early intelligence about protests,” adding that “protest has been a concern for employers in recent times.”
A university spokesperson said previous masked demonstrations by the Loughborough Action for Palestine group had left some students feeling unsafe amid allegations of antisemitism.
“We observe the group’s 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’ social media,” the spokesperson said.
In response, LAFP said: “We 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 ‘justify’ surveillance of students by university management.”
Emails from Heriot-Watt University suggest Raytheon UK asked it to “monitor university chat groups” before a visit, with the institution agreeing to “implement the measures you have suggested.”
A spokesperson for Heriot-Watt said the university “strongly refuted” any claims it monitored students’ private correspondence, adding that safeguarding staff had no access to private chat groups or forums.
Further correspondence indicates that BAE Systems required the University of Glasgow to complete a “security questionnaire” before attending events, asking if it was “aware of any social media protests posts or videos.”
In May, Glasgow’s careers staff met representatives from defense firm Leonardo, whose employee later wrote: “It’s reassuring to know that we’re not going to have the (sic) step back because we can’t find a route to engaging with students and keep (sic) our staff safe.”
In a separate case, Cardiff University moved a careers event online “in agreement with BAE” after spotting a social media post calling for a protest.
A Cardiff spokesperson said: “We reject the suggestion that we’ve put students ‘under surveillance.’ The protest was posted on a public-facing social media account. This was picked up as part of our day-to-day media monitoring.”
The statement added: “We routinely monitor mentions of Cardiff University, including those made on social media platforms, to measure engagement with our communications activity and in relation to reputation management. This type of activity is not unique to Cardiff University and is used by other universities and organisations.”
Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, criticized the practice, saying: “Student protesters should be supported by their universities, not surveilled by them. It 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.”
The Association of University Chief Security Officers, which represents security staff at more than 140 universities, also confirmed it had coordinated efforts to prevent protests “affecting our students’ career advancement.”
Notes from a January 2025 presentation to Universities UK said members “monitor(ed) media/social media” and used “static officers (at entrance points near the targeted company)” and “mobile officers (to monitor surrounding areas and for rapid response)” during events.
According to Liberty Investigates, 37 out of 154 UK universities launched disciplinary proceedings against pro-Gaza student and staff activists between October 2023 and March 2025, with up to 200 people affected.
