Emails obtained by Liberty Investigates under FOI laws and shared with Hillhead Review show how officials in the University of Glasgow’s School of Engineering sought to request for videos posted by the Justice for Palestine Society to be removed. The internal calls were considered under the basis of data protection legislation, with officials claiming that the video exposed “the audience without any effort to blur or obscure their faces” and that as a “Private event … with invitees” this potentially allowed viewers to “ascertain that someone in the video is an applicant to a UofG degree” which they considered would be personal data under GDPR.
On the 1st April 2025, the James Watt School of Engineering held a talk for Aeronautical Engineering offer holders as part of a University Wide Offer Holders’ day. University of Glasgow Justice for Palestine Society disrupted the event by interrupting the talk, telling audience members, “over 12,000 students [in Palestine] have been killed. Nothing differentiates you from them. Every single university in Gaza has been bombed… and you don’t care; shame on you.” A video (still live at time of article publication) was posted by the society on its Instagram showing the protest, and includes shots of members of the audience present.
A high-ranking official in the School of Engineering writes in the internal emails that:
“I am aware that the protesters filmed themselves yesterday and placed the videos online.
More concerningly, they filmed the audience and that footage is also online. I have not viewed the footage myself, and do not know where it is. However, concerns are all to do with GDPR for this, and whether we or the University could be seen as liable. Especially concerning as the footage will contain under 18’s. Is there anyway this can be passed up the chain to see if the footage can be removed?”
The chain of emails goes on to show other officials in the School of Engineering discussing the idea and resolving to request the removal of the video.
A University spokesperson told Hillhead Review “The University of Glasgow upholds the right to freedom of expression, including the right of staff and students to engage in peaceful demonstrations. At the same time, we call on all members of the community to uphold the University’s values of tolerance and respect to others. We will do everything we can to ensure that all members of our community are protected.
“The purpose of the discussion regarding the removal of social media posts was to safeguard the identity of attendees at a private event, many of whom were under 18, following concerns that footage had been shared without their consent.”
The Justice for Palestine Society has not responded to requests for comment.