University of Michigan has ended private surveillance contracts but the chill on free speech remains

ClareRigneyisarisingsecond-yearstudentatAmericanUniversityWashingtonCollegeofLawandaFIREsummerintern. AfteranewsstorylastweekthattheUniversityofMichiganwaspayingprivateinvestigatorstospyonpro-Palestinianstudentprotesters,theschoolquicklyendeditscontractswiththesurveillancefirm. Incaseanyoneisunaware,theyearis2025.Not1984. NowtheuniversitysaysthisOrwellianpracticehasended,butthe chillonstudentspeechwilllikelyremainforsometime. OnJune6, TheGuardian reportedonthestory,citingmultiplevideosandstudentaccountsofinvestigatorscursingatstudentsandthreateningthem.BetweenJune2023andSeptember2024,U-Mreportedlypaidabout$800,000totheDetroit-basedsecuritycompanyCityShieldtocarryoutthissurveillanceinsteadofusingthefundstoincreasethesizeofthecampuspoliceforce.  SeveralofthetargetedstudentsweremembersofStudentsAlliedforFreedomandEquality,thelocalchapteroftheStudentsforJusticeinPalestine,causingcriticstoaccuse