Palantir given ‘unlimited access’ to NHS patient health records

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NHS England has given Palantir and other contractors working on its digitisation scheme “unlimited access” to patient health records. It is another sign of the US tech company’s deep relationship with the British state. The police are deploying its software, which synthesises and cross-references reams of data, to track down organised criminals, while councils are using it to reduce their social workers’ workloads. Palantir also has a contract with the Ministry of Defence. There have been protests against these contracts over privacy concerns, as well as the company’s relationship with the Israeli military, which uses its tech to identify targets.