Did UK universities pay to ‘spy’ on pro‑Palestine students? episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 22, 2026 · 14 MIN

Did UK universities pay to ‘spy’ on pro‑Palestine students?

from The Take · host Al Jazeera

Twelve elite British universities are accused of hiring a private security firm with military intelligence ties to track pro-Palestine student protests. Students were reportedly flagged through social media monitoring without their awareness, sparking debate over surveillance and free speech in UK higher education.  Learn more about the campus accountability mapping project.  In this episode:  Aaron Walawalkar (@AaronWala), Investigative Reporter, Liberty Investigations Episode credits: This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li and Sarí el-Khalili with Spencer Cline, Catherine Nouhan, Tuleen Barakat and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Tamara Khandaker and Noor Wazwaz.  Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Rick Rush mixed this episode. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.  Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

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Did UK universities pay to ‘spy’ on pro‑Palestine students?

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This episode was published on April 22, 2026.

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Twelve elite British universities are accused of hiring a private security firm with military intelligence ties to track pro-Palestine student protests. Students were reportedly flagged through social media monitoring without their awareness,...

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