Palantir once again in sights of civil libertarians over NHS Covid data store
The award of a new federal government agreement to information analytics supplier Palantir on the back of its involvement in the NHS Covid-19 information shop has actually provoked Open Democracy into legal action, supported by a direct exposure of lobbying activity that pre-dates the pandemic
Media organisations Open Democracy and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism have acted in unison to put in concern the NHS and the UK state’s wider negotiations with data mining business Palantir.
The Palo Alto-based firm was co-founded by leading Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel in2003 And although its co-founder and CEO, Alex Karp, is a self-described socialist, the business’s client base in the CIA and the FBI has actually made it questionable amongst civil libertarians.
In March 2020, the NHS validated it was working with Palantir, Microsoft and Google to improve its information analytics efforts and make its battle versus the Covid-19 coronavirus more efficient and efficient. From that work emerged the NHS Covid-19 Data Shop
NHS England’s web page on the store explains it like this: “The NHS Covid-19 Data Shop rests on a Microsoft Azure platform under contract with NHS England and NHS Enhancement. Within that safe and secure cloud processing environment, Palantir (acting under instruction from NHS England) manage their platform which is called Foundry.
” Palantir have developed analytical dashboards for gain access to by NHS England and Enhancement staff, together with personnel in the following organisations working under agreement: Faculty AI, McKinsey and Deloitte.
While it was reported, in March 2020, that NHSX and NHS England’s technical groups had actually developed a back-end information shop on Microsoft’s cloud platform, Azure, to “bring multiple information sources into a single, safe place”, it was Palantir Technologies UK that would provide the software application, Palantir Foundry, that makes up the front-end information platform. Palantir Foundry is said to enable disparate data to be cleaned and incorporated.
” We’re taking the government to court since, right before Christmas, they quietly gave CIA-backed company [Palantir] a major, long-term function in handling our personal health details, and in England’s cherished National Health Service”. Open Democracy
Open Democracy has now initiated legal procedures against the UK government for extending the “emergency situation” and essentially pro bono (a nominal expense of ₤ 1) contract struck with Palantir at the height of the very first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The new contract, signed in December 2020, things Open Democracy, is for 2 years and “reaches far beyond Covid: to Brexit, general business planning and far more”. The contract’s value for “data management platform services” is ₤235 m
On The Other Hand, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has published an associated story detailing lobbying by Palantir among senior NHS executives that pre-dates the coronavirus crisis and reaches back into 2019.
The Open Democracy organisation said, in a statement describing why it is taking legal action against the government: “We’re taking the government to court because, right prior to Christmas, they silently gave this CIA-backed firm a major, long-lasting function in handling our personal health details, and in England’s cherished National Health Service.”
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has actually revealed that Palantir’s UK manager, Louis Mosley, hosted a supper attended by David Prior, chair of NHS England, on 2 July 2019.
As reported by the BBC, the legal case, which is being dealt with by law firm Foxglove on behalf of its client Open Democracy, turns on whether a fresh Data Defense Effect Assessment is needed for the new agreement.
” The government should not use the pandemic as an excuse to embed significant tech companies like Palantir in the NHS without seeking advice from the general public, Foxglove director Cori Crider informed the BBC.
” The datastore is the largest pool of client data in UK history. It’s one thing to set it up on an emergency basis, it’s a different another tune to give a tech firm like Palantir a permanent role in NHS facilities.”
Sky News pointed out an NHS representative as saying: “The business is an accredited provider to the UK public sector. The NHS finished a Data Defense Impact Evaluation in April 2020, and an update will be released in due course.”
Palantir is not discussing the story.
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