Protesters in Manchester donned hospital gowns to voice their concerns about a £300 million contract between the National Health Service (NHS) and US firm Palantir, amid worries over national security and data privacy.
The group, including healthcare workers and activists from Pull the Plug, held up signs reading “Hands off our NHS” as they gathered outside the NHS ConfedExpo conference. They chanted slogans like “Hey hey, ho ho, Palantir has got to go,” voicing their fear that sensitive patient data might fall into foreign hands.
Palantir’s contract is part of a broader effort by the UK government to use advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to improve service efficiency. However, activists argue that such high-stakes tech deals should not come at the cost of public trust or national security.
The company has repeatedly denied any political bias but faces scrutiny over its work with controversial entities like US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Israel’s military. Critics contend that the NHS should focus on in-house solutions to avoid giving foreign companies leverage over sensitive healthcare information.
