Title: Who’s Watching the Watchers? How Palantir, the NHS, and Big Data Became a Big Debate

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By Sean Key

Imagine if a tech company that worked with spies, armies, and secret missions suddenly showed up to help run your local hospital. That sounds like a movie plot, right? But it’s actually happening in the UK right now. A company called Palantir Technologies is helping manage huge amounts of data for the NHS — and not everyone is happy about it.

This is the story of how Palantir got involved with British healthcare, why some people are worried, and what three powerful people behind the company really believe.

Who Are Palantir?

Palantir is a big tech company from America. It was co-founded by Peter Thiel and Alex Karp, and it works with governments, armies, and big companies around the world. It makes software that helps people understand massive piles of data. Think of it like a super-powered spreadsheet that can find patterns and predict what might happen next.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK government asked Palantir to help organise data for things like vaccines and protective equipment. That opened the door for something bigger: a contract to help run the NHS’s new Federated Data Platform, worth over £330 million.

Palantir’s software was praised by some for helping manage emergency responses. But others asked, “What happens next?”

Why Do Some People Feel Uneasy?

One key group with concerns is doctors and medical staff. Many have spoken out about Palantir’s involvement because:

  • Patient trust is vital in healthcare. Doctors know that if patients don’t feel safe sharing personal information, they may delay or avoid care — and that could lead to worse health outcomes.
  • Transparency is lacking. Medical professionals have criticised the NHS for not consulting properly before signing a major data deal. The British Medical Association (BMA) and National Data Guardian have both called for greater openness.
  • Unclear benefits. Some clinicians say they’re not convinced that Palantir’s system will actually improve patient care or hospital efficiency in a meaningful way. In fact, many hospitals already use different digital systems that work well.
  • Worries about future use. Doctors fear that even if the data is secure now, it might be reused in ways they can’t control — for example, by insurance companies, private health firms, or even foreign governments.

According to the BMA: “The NHS must ensure the systems it procures to process data are safe, transparent and command the confidence of both the profession and the public.”

See more at: https://www.bmj.com/content/383/bmj.p2752

People are worried about Palantir for a few reasons:

  • Military roots: Palantir started by helping the US military and CIA. Its software has been used in war zones, sometimes to track targets for drone strikes.
  • Data concerns: The NHS holds some of the most sensitive personal information in the country. Critics worry that handing it to a company with spy roots isn’t safe.
  • Public trust: Palantir was brought in without much public discussion. That made people feel like something was being hidden.

One NHS region — Greater Manchester — even refused to use the system, saying it wasn’t clear what would happen to the data or who would have access to it.

According to a report by The Register: https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/23/greater_manchester_palantir_snub/

Who Are the People Behind Palantir?

These three key figures not only shaped Palantir’s business, but also shaped public debates through interviews, publications, and political activity.

Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel is a billionaire entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He co-founded PayPal and Palantir and was an early investor in Facebook. He has become known not just for his tech ventures, but also for his outspoken political views.

Thiel has described himself as a libertarian and in a 2009 essay, wrote: “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.” He has argued for reducing the role of government and has funded conservative and right-wing candidates in the U.S., including Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.

He co-authored a book titled The Diversity Myth, which criticised multiculturalism and progressive politics in universities. Thiel has publicly supported strong national defence policies and has advocated for Western nations to be more assertive globally.

At the Oxford Union in 2023, Thiel criticised the NHS, describing it as a “Stockholm syndrome” scenario and saying, “The NHS makes people sick.” He argued the UK should consider privatisation and market competition in healthcare.

See The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/01/18/peter-thiel-britains-affection-nhs-stockholm-syndrome/

Thiel believes in free markets and small government. He doesn’t like public healthcare much and once said, “You just rip the whole thing from the ground and start over.”

Alex Karp

Alex Karp is the CEO of Palantir Technologies and holds a PhD in philosophy. He presents himself as a progressive but has also made strong pro-military and pro-Western statements.

Karp frequently appears in media and government events to argue that Palantir is essential for defending democracy. He has supported NATO, Ukraine, and US military alliances, and has said that companies unwilling to work with Western governments are failing in their duties.

He has also written public letters defending Palantir’s contracts with controversial agencies, including ICE in the U.S., and has criticised Silicon Valley for being, in his view, overly ideological and disconnected from national security concerns.

In a 2025 exchange with a protester, Karp said bluntly: “Our AI kills Palestinians,” in reference to Palantir’s defence contracts. He has repeatedly argued that Palantir should only support liberal democracies, but has admitted that lethal military use of its technology does occur.

Alex Karp is Palantir’s CEO. He’s a complex figure who says he’s a progressive and supports some liberal causes. But he also openly admits that Palantir’s software has been used to kill people in war zones. In 2025, he responded to protesters by saying, “Our AI kills Palestinians.“

He strongly supports Western governments and sees Palantir as a defender of democracy, especially against authoritarian threats.

Louis Mosley

Louis Mosley is the Executive Vice President of Palantir UK and Europe. He studied at Oxford University and is the grandson of Oswald Mosley, founder of the British Union of Fascists — a legacy which continues to attract public attention. Vido below is of the grandfather, Oswald Mosley.

Mosley is known for building Palantir’s UK presence and influencing political and business stakeholders. He reportedly proposed a “buy our way in” strategy to acquire NHS-facing companies and reduce public resistance to Palantir’s expansion. Corporate Watch and other sources have reported on these tactics.

He has also donated to Conservative politicians in the UK and met with figures across the political spectrum, including Labour leader Keir Starmer, to pitch Palantir’s role in British government reform.

In interviews, Mosley has warned against censorship and ideological bias in artificial intelligence, calling for democratic safeguards to be built into AI systems.

See background at Corporate Watch: https://corporatewatch.org/palantir-in-the-uk/
Louis Mosley is Palantir’s UK boss. He went to Oxford University and comes from a famous (and controversial) British family — his grandfather was Oswald Mosley, the founder of the British Union of Fascists.

He has helped Palantir get closer to British politicians and once talked about “buying our way in” to the NHS by acquiring smaller companies with existing contracts.

What About AI and the War?

In 2024, journalists revealed that Israel used artificial intelligence (AI) tools called Lavender and Where’s Daddy? to find and target people in Gaza. These systems were blamed for attacks that killed journalists, doctors, and families.

Read the investigation: https://www.972mag.com/lavender-ai-israeli-army-gaza/

There is no public proof that Palantir made these tools, but their technology is very similar. Palantir also has a strong partnership with the Israeli military. Karp has said that Palantir supports Israel, and Thiel has close ties to US and Israeli defense projects.

Is Palantir Trustworthy?

Some say yes. They argue that Palantir is helping the NHS become more modern, that it’s saving time and money, and that it’s doing work other companies can’t. But others say no — pointing to its military past, its powerful founders, and its work with controversial government projects like the US Department of Government Efficiency (also called DOGE).

DOGE has been accused of hiding its work from the public, avoiding transparency, and using AI to track people.

See: https://www.wired.com/story/palantir-doge-irs-mega-api-data/

Why It Matters

This isn’t just about technology. It’s about trust. Who do we trust to hold our health data? What should private companies be allowed to do with public information? And what kind of future do we want — one led by AI, algorithms, and billionaires? Or one built on public values, transparency, and consent?

The answers might shape not just the future of the NHS, but the future of democracy itself.

References

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