Palestine Solidarity Campaign urges further action against existing agreements with US tech firm
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has welcomed a decision by London Mayor Sadiq Khan to block a proposed £50 million Metropolitan Police contract with US technology company Palantir Technologies, following sustained lobbying from campaigners.
According to PSC, more than 1,000 supporters in London contacted the Mayor ahead of the announcement, urging City Hall to prevent the deal from moving forward. The contract would reportedly have been the largest agreement involving Palantir within British policing.
The decision comes amid growing scrutiny of Palantir’s international operations and its relationship with the Israeli government. In January 2024, the company entered into what was described as a “strategic partnership” with Israel’s Ministry of Defence to develop technologies and tools for use in “war-related missions”.
PSC alleges that the technology developed through the partnership has been used to support Israeli military operations in Gaza, including the use of artificial intelligence and surveillance systems to identify bombing targets. The organisation claims these systems have contributed to the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals.
Mayor’s Office Cites London Values
A spokesperson for the Mayor said London residents wanted public money to be spent only with organisations that “share the values of our city”.
While PSC welcomed the decision to halt the proposed policing contract, the organisation said further measures are needed. The group is now calling on the Mayor to intervene in an existing £500,000 Metropolitan Police contract signed in February for the use of Palantir technology within the force’s “professional service function”.
The campaign group is also pressing the British government to review and cancel wider public sector agreements involving Palantir, including NHS England’s £330 million Federated Data Platform contract. The platform is intended to store and manage patient medical data across the health service.
PSC said the NHS agreement has faced opposition from some health workers, patients and human rights organisations, which have raised concerns around data privacy, ethics and the company’s international activities.
Campaigners Renew Pressure on Government
Lewis Backon, PSC Campaigns Officer, said:
“It is welcome that following our campaigning the Mayor of London has intervened to stop a £50million Met Police contract with Palantir.
Palantir supplies Israel with AI and surveillance technology used as part of its genocide in Gaza, and wider regime of military occupation and apartheid against Palestinians. Companies enabling human rights abuses across the globe should not receive a single penny of public money.
We call on the Mayor to intervene to cancel the existing Met Police contract with Palantir, and for the British government to take note and cancel Palantir’s contracts, including in our NHS.”
Broader Debate Over Public Sector Technology Contracts
The controversy surrounding Palantir reflects wider debates in the UK over the role of private technology firms in policing, healthcare and government services.
Founded in the United States, Palantir specialises in large-scale data analytics, surveillance systems and artificial intelligence platforms used by governments, defence agencies and law enforcement bodies around the world. The company has previously faced criticism from civil liberties groups over its involvement in security and immigration enforcement operations.
The blocked Metropolitan Police agreement had drawn concern from campaigners who argued that awarding a major public contract to the company risked reputational damage for City Hall and the police force.
The Mayor’s intervention may also increase pressure on other public institutions to reassess commercial relationships with technology suppliers linked to controversial military or surveillance activities abroad.
For PSC, the latest development is being framed as a significant campaign victory, though the organisation says its focus will now shift towards existing government contracts and future procurement decisions involving the company.