Say No to Palantir in the NHS (notopalantir.goodlawproject.org)

Article summary

NHS England is rolling out software from Palantir, a US company, to manage health records, which has raised concerns due to Palantir's history of supporting mass deportation and surveillance. The company's founder, Peter Thiel, has also expressed negative views about the NHS. A campaign is urging people to email their local NHS trust to demand they reject Palantir's software. The goal is to prevent Palantir from taking control of the UK's healthcare system.

Main themes

• Palantir in NHS
• Surveillance and data privacy
• Corporate influence in healthcare
• US-UK tech company relations
• Healthcare system management

What commenters say

• Palantir's involvement in the NHS is problematic due to its history of supporting mass deportation and surveillance, and its founder's negative views on the NHS.
• The use of Palantir's software in the NHS is just one example of a broader issue of large tech companies having too much influence in healthcare and other sectors.
• Some argue that rejecting Palantir's software is a necessary step towards protecting data privacy and preventing the exploitation of healthcare data for surveillance purposes.
• Others believe that boycotting or rejecting Palantir's software is not a viable solution and that a more nuanced approach is needed to address the complex issues surrounding healthcare data management.
• There are concerns that if the US government demands it, companies like Palantir will have to hand over data, regardless of their stated commitments to data privacy.
• Some commenters argue that the focus on Palantir is misplaced and that other large tech companies, such as Google and Amazon, also have significant contracts with the US Department of Defense and should be subject to similar scrutiny.
• The use of Palantir's software in the NHS is seen by some as a symptom of a larger problem of neoliberalism and the increasing privatization of public services.
• Others argue that the campaign against Palantir's software is an example of incrementalism and that taking a stand against one company can serve as a warning to others and lead to broader change.