3 ms·

The UK has decided to terminate Palantir contracts when they become due for renewal. Not before time.

hkt 7mo ago
Not before handing over an enormous cache of NHS patient data to them during the pandemic. If memory serves, this was not kept on NHS hardware or even NHS controlled compute.
- mrlonglong 7mo ago
  Yes whoever decided to let them do this has a lot of explaining to do. This data should never have left the UK.
  - GuestFAUniverse 7mo ago
    Grab them by the balls and make sure they are never able to make a political decision with such an impact again.
- Silhouette 7mo ago
  If memory serves, this was not kept on NHS hardware or even NHS controlled compute. Does anyone have a verifiable source for that? It would be extremely controversial if true and even among the big civil liberties and privacy advocacy groups in the UK I have never seen anyone make that claim. The defence to using Palantir by British government departments and public services has typically been that Palantir only provides the technology and the data itself is still held and processed in the UK under the native organisation's control. Even this is still controversial because of issues like the CLOUD Act and the general reputation of Palantir. But that is a long way from allowing the mass export of sensitive personal data to a US firm without the data subjects' knowledge or consent. That looks just plain illegal under our existing data protection legislation. Green lighting it - even in the panic phase during COVID - would probably be controversial enough to end a few political careers at least. It might even leave enough of a cloud over the party in government at the time to affect a future election.
  - mrlonglong 7mo ago
    You said it better than I could have.
- crimsoneer 7mo ago
  "if memory serves" is an interesting way to phrase "I'm just making shit up"
masfuerte 7mo ago
Do you have a reference for this? There's been a lot of talk from ministers about reviewing contracts when break clauses allow, but I haven't seen anything definitive and this still seems to be a matter for individual departments.
- mrlonglong 7mo ago
  I've had a look and this probably is where their thinking is at. https://www.ft.com/content/2d2b1af1-edea-4fd0-a081-3811e34bc52e https://www.ft.com/content/2d2b1af1-edea-4fd0-a081-3811e34bc...
tremon 7mo ago
Are you referring to the same UK that only a week ago gave Palantir access to the entire data lake of the FCA, the financial regulator and crime watchdog? https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/22/palantir-extends-reach-into-british-state-as-it-gets-access-to-sensitive-fca-data https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/22/palantir-...
account42 6mo ago
A decision that definitely won't change after the public consciousness forgets about it.

hkt 7mo ago

Not before handing over an enormous cache of NHS patient data to them during the pandemic. If memory serves, this was not kept on NHS hardware or even NHS controlled compute.

mrlonglong 7mo ago
Yes whoever decided to let them do this has a lot of explaining to do. This data should never have left the UK.
- GuestFAUniverse 7mo ago
  Grab them by the balls and make sure they are never able to make a political decision with such an impact again.
Silhouette 7mo ago
If memory serves, this was not kept on NHS hardware or even NHS controlled compute. Does anyone have a verifiable source for that? It would be extremely controversial if true and even among the big civil liberties and privacy advocacy groups in the UK I have never seen anyone make that claim. The defence to using Palantir by British government departments and public services has typically been that Palantir only provides the technology and the data itself is still held and processed in the UK under the native organisation's control. Even this is still controversial because of issues like the CLOUD Act and the general reputation of Palantir. But that is a long way from allowing the mass export of sensitive personal data to a US firm without the data subjects' knowledge or consent. That looks just plain illegal under our existing data protection legislation. Green lighting it - even in the panic phase during COVID - would probably be controversial enough to end a few political careers at least. It might even leave enough of a cloud over the party in government at the time to affect a future election.
- mrlonglong 7mo ago
  You said it better than I could have.
crimsoneer 7mo ago
"if memory serves" is an interesting way to phrase "I'm just making shit up"

masfuerte 7mo ago

Do you have a reference for this? There's been a lot of talk from ministers about reviewing contracts when break clauses allow, but I haven't seen anything definitive and this still seems to be a matter for individual departments.

mrlonglong 7mo ago
I've had a look and this probably is where their thinking is at. https://www.ft.com/content/2d2b1af1-edea-4fd0-a081-3811e34bc52e https://www.ft.com/content/2d2b1af1-edea-4fd0-a081-3811e34bc...

tremon 7mo ago

Are you referring to the same UK that only a week ago gave Palantir access to the entire data lake of the FCA, the financial regulator and crime watchdog? https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/22/palantir-extends-reach-into-british-state-as-it-gets-access-to-sensitive-fca-data https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/22/palantir-...

account42 6mo ago

A decision that definitely won't change after the public consciousness forgets about it.