Controversy continues over contracts between U.K. public bodies and U.S. data analytics corporations Palantir. The contract with the Metropolitan Police has turned into a legal battle, and a large contract with the National Health Service (NHS) has also been put up for review.
According to Reuters and the BBC on the 9th (local time), Palantir filed a lawsuit with the High Court in the U.K. last month seeking to overturn London Mayor Sadiq Khan's decision, saying he illegally blocked its contract with the Metropolitan Police.
Palantir pursued a £50 million (about 101.0 billion won) contract to provide an artificial intelligence (AI) system that automates some police tasks such as investigation evidence analysis. In the U.K., the Ministry of National Defense and the NHS also use Palantir's technology. But London did not approve the contract in May. The city said the Metropolitan Police violated procedures by not submitting a procurement strategy in advance and by pursuing a contract targeting only Palantir without an open tender.
Palantir argued that it was illegal for the city to block the contract by taking issue with its values and ethics. Louis Mosley, Palantir's U.K. chief executive officer (CEO), criticized Khan, saying he is "putting politics ahead of public safety."
London, however, denied this and said that business viability, including cost-effectiveness, was also behind the refusal to approve the contract. Palantir requested a trial within the year, but the judge said the trial would begin in January next year.
The controversy also ties into political and security debates surrounding Palantir. Palantir provided technology for the hard-line immigration crackdown under the U.S. administration of Donald Trump, and controversy has persisted because co-founder Peter Thiel has maintained close ties with the Trump camp. Across Europe, a debate over Data Sovereignty is spreading about whether it is appropriate for the military and investigative agencies to use platforms from U.S. corporations.
Controversy also continues over the contract with the NHS. According to Politico Europe, the NHS is reviewing whether to renew in February next year its £330 million (about 667.5 billion won) data platform contract signed with Palantir.
In a letter sent to Health and Social Care Secretary Preet Gill on the 9th, the U.K. Parliament's Health and Social Care Committee expressed opposition to renewing the contract, saying, "A lack of trust in how NHS data is used, managed and shared could make the public reluctant to share medical data and could also constrain the government's digital transition." Earlier, the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee also advised the government not to renew the contract, citing concerns about vendor dependence.
Similar moves are appearing across European countries. Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), adopted French firm ChapsVision's data analytics platform for counterterrorism and counterintelligence duties instead of Palantir. The German Bundeswehr is also reviewing the adoption of a European solution after excluding Palantir from its military cloud buildout project. In Switzerland, local media reported that Palantir conducted large-scale sales activities targeting the federal government over the past seven years but had at least nine proposals rejected.