Palantir is not just a tech company - it is taking over your data in many aspects of UK including the NHS

24th August 2025

Richard Murphy has highlighted a newsletter from Robert Reich. Robert Reich, at the age of 79 and just after retiring from university teaching, is one of the most outspoken critics of Trump in the USA right now.

If you think Big Brother was watching it is getting far far worse now.

Richard Murphy Blog on Palantir

Robert Reich Newsletter

Palantir Technologies Inc. is an American software company, publicly traded and headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 2003 by Peter Thiel, Alex Karp, Stephen Cohen, and Joe Lonsdale, it's best known for its powerful data analytics platforms—Gotham, Foundry, Apollo, and AIP—used across government, military, law enforcement, healthcare, and commercial sectors

Palantir Gotham is tailored for intelligence, defence, and law enforcement.

Palantir Foundry is used by enterprises for tasks like supply chain analysis, healthcare, and energy management.

Apollo serves as a deployment and integration engine across environments.

These tools enable organizations to pull together disparate datasets, analyze them with AI, and derive real-time, actionable insights

Despite its technological prowess, Palantir has been the subject of controversy, particularly over data privacy, surveillance, and ethics in government and security applications

Palantir's Role in the UK

Palantir has established a significant presence in the UK, actively engaging across government, healthcare, defence, policing, and beyond.

1. Healthcare (NHS)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS England granted Palantir a nominal £1 contract to create a Covid Data Store, which supported pandemic tracking and vaccine logistics

In late 2023, Palantir won a £330 million, seven-year contract to develop the Federated Data Platform (FDP)—a system designed to unify data across up to 240 NHS trusts to improve operations and care outcomes.

This policy has drawn scrutiny from civil rights groups who criticized the lack of transparency, procurement practices, and potential risks of vendor lock-in.

2. Ministry of Defence (MoD) & Defence

In April 2023, Palantir secured a £75 million enterprise agreement with the MoD, covering the supply of its software tools until November 2025.

The company also conducted earlier pilot projects, such as a £1.6 million initiative with the Royal Navy focused on personnel and operational enhancements.

3. Central Government & Post-Brexit Border Management

Palantir has worked with the Cabinet Office, reportedly providing a post-Brexit border-flow monitoring toolkit under a contract estimated between £20-27 million.

The company's initial connection came via an introduction from former MI6 chief Sir John Sawers, raising questions about procurement transparency
openDemocracy.

It also contributed to the Homes for Ukraine refugee resettlement programme and emergency response operations, initially offering services for free and later earning extended contracts valued in the low millions.

4. Policing

In late 2024, Palantir won an intelligence platform contract with Leicestershire Police, sparking concern over intelligence data access by a private provider.

5. Private Sector & Other Public Bodies

The company is also expanding into other sectors:

Energy, to assist in net-zero and operational efficiency initiatives.

Aviation, to optimize performance and safety.

Local government and public safety, including work with councils, Transport for London, and the British Business Bank

6. UK Bases & Workforce

Palantir has had a London presence since around 2009, serving as its European hub for R&D. It employs around 900 people in the UK and is reportedly planning a second base in Northern England

Financially, Palantir Technologies UK recorded a drop in revenue from £227 million to £174 million and a net loss of £11 million—compared to £21 million profit previously

7. Speculative Development: Space Sector

A recent Reddit discussion (not officially verified) suggests Palantir is involved in the UK's "Borealis" space monitoring system in partnership with CGI—a platform to monitor satellites and space assets