Hackney councillors are alarmed by the ethics of the American tech company used by an NHS Trust. A review of Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has highlighted issues with Palantir’s ethics, security, and potential to monopolise data supply.
Duncan McCann, a representative for non-profit organisation Good Law Project said: “There are real issues around trust, data rights, and security… it is a company whose values do not align with the NHS.”
Palantir signed a £330m contract with NHS England, the main funder of Homerton Trust. The Health Service Journal said the nation-wide deal could inflate to £1bn. Responding to this, Councillor Nick Mann said: “They’re building a monopoly which will be near enough irreversible.”
Palantir’s data software will “sit on top of existing systems and connect them together”, making it easier to share data such as patient information and bed availability between trusts, care boards, and NHS England.
“There are really serious ethical concerns [surrounding] our migrant community,” and fears that Hackney citizens’ data could be accessed by the Home Office, said Councillor Claudia Turbet-Delof.
Mr McCann drew attention to Palantir’s involvement with the Israel Defence Forces, saying that the company are “complicit in Israel’s genocide”. He also spoke against the tech company’s facilitation of American deportation schemes.
Niall Canavan, IT director at Homerton Trust, attended a council meeting on 14 October and spoke in favour of the data programme. At the end of the meeting, public attendees in the gallery chanted: “No, no, Palantir!”
Is an MA newspaper journalism student, reporting on Dalston for the Hackney Post.