Palantir is turning the NHS into a tool for mass surveillance
3 hours ago
- #data-privacy
- #public-health
- #government-surveillance
- NHS England's Federated Data Platform (FDP), run by Palantir, could enable mass surveillance using patient healthcare data.
- Palantir's contract lacks clarity on data collection, yet 69% of NHS Trusts have adopted the platform, integrating disparate databases.
- A cross-party committee urges the UK government to reveal Palantir's access to patient data and consider terminating the contract.
- Opposition includes NHS staff, medical unions, and local authorities, citing security risks and better in-house alternatives.
- Palantir's technology, originally developed for US intelligence, centralizes data to 'connect dots,' raising privacy and lock-in concerns.
- The FDP creates 'Person Ontology' profiles with pseudonymized data, reversible identification posing risks if misused by governments.
- Palantir's ties to UK police and immigration policies could lead to data misuse, similar to its role in US deportations under Trump.
- Critics argue the NHS could use less intrusive, innovative solutions instead of relying on Palantir's mass surveillance tools.