Palantir's NHS England contract opens door to government abuse of power', health bosses told

"A briefing by the health justice charity Medact said the highly interoperable nature of Palantir's software could enable data-driven state abuses of power, including US-style ICE raids. The report, released on Thursday and backed by doctors, lawyers, patients and human rights groups from the No Palantir in the NHS campaign and sent to hospital trusts and integrated care boards nationwide, was shared with the Guardian and BMJ."

"In the US, ICE (US immigration customs and enforcement), uses Palantir software for cross-governmental data analysis, including health data, to track people down. In the UK, Reform UK, which announced plans for a UK version of ICE in February, has said it would use data-sharing."

"However, concerns rest on Palantir software's cross-departmental drag and drop capabilities if a future UK government changes the law, as Reform has pledged to facilitate mass deportation. Nigel Farage's Reform UK has announced plans for a UK version of ICE."

Palantir Technologies won a £330 million NHS England contract to deliver the Federated Data Platform, which the government promotes as modernizing the NHS. However, health justice charity Medact warns that Palantir's highly interoperable software could enable data-driven state abuses of power. The concern centers on the platform's cross-departmental data-sharing capabilities, which could be exploited if future governments change laws. Reform UK has pledged to create a UK version of ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and facilitate mass deportation. In the US, ICE already uses Palantir software for cross-governmental data analysis including health data. While Palantir claims such misuse would be illegal and breach contract terms, critics worry the software's architecture makes abuse possible under changed legislation.

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