UK MPs Call for Review of Government Contracts With Palantir After Swiss Security Report
British lawmakers urge transparency and reassessment of data agreements following Swiss rejection of the US tech firm over sensitive data access concerns
British lawmakers have intensified calls for the government to review its contracts with US-based data analytics firm Palantir Technologies following the publication of a Swiss security investigation that raised concerns about the handling of sensitive information.
The year-long probe by Swiss outlets revealed that multiple Swiss federal agencies, including the army and public health authorities, repeatedly rejected Palantir’s bids over fears that data shared with the company could potentially be accessed by US government bodies, including intelligence services.
This contrast with the UK’s deepening engagement with the company has sparked debate in Westminster about procurement standards and data sovereignty.
Palantir holds significant contracts with British government bodies, including a multi-year agreement with the National Health Service to support data integration and analytics platforms, as well as major defence contracts amounting to hundreds of millions of pounds to develop artificial intelligence and data tools for the Ministry of Defence.
The Swiss investigation’s findings — emphasising concerns about national control, reputational risk and potential access by foreign intelligence — have been used by opposition parliamentarians to question whether the UK’s due diligence matched that of Switzerland and other European partners.
Labour MP Clive Lewis stated that the Swiss army’s caution in rejecting Palantir was “right to be suspicious,” while fellow MP Rachael Maskell called for transparent reviews of how companies with complex global ties are assessed before receiving government digital and security contracts.
Critics argue that greater accountability is needed for large technology suppliers entrusted with processing sensitive data, especially in healthcare and defence sectors where public trust and national security stakes are high.
Palantir has defended its record, insisting that robust contractual and technical measures ensure customers retain control over their data and that concerns of undue access by any external party are unfounded.
The UK government has yet to announce any formal reassessment of existing agreements in response to the parliamentary pressure and the findings of the Swiss report.
The year-long probe by Swiss outlets revealed that multiple Swiss federal agencies, including the army and public health authorities, repeatedly rejected Palantir’s bids over fears that data shared with the company could potentially be accessed by US government bodies, including intelligence services.
This contrast with the UK’s deepening engagement with the company has sparked debate in Westminster about procurement standards and data sovereignty.
Palantir holds significant contracts with British government bodies, including a multi-year agreement with the National Health Service to support data integration and analytics platforms, as well as major defence contracts amounting to hundreds of millions of pounds to develop artificial intelligence and data tools for the Ministry of Defence.
The Swiss investigation’s findings — emphasising concerns about national control, reputational risk and potential access by foreign intelligence — have been used by opposition parliamentarians to question whether the UK’s due diligence matched that of Switzerland and other European partners.
Labour MP Clive Lewis stated that the Swiss army’s caution in rejecting Palantir was “right to be suspicious,” while fellow MP Rachael Maskell called for transparent reviews of how companies with complex global ties are assessed before receiving government digital and security contracts.
Critics argue that greater accountability is needed for large technology suppliers entrusted with processing sensitive data, especially in healthcare and defence sectors where public trust and national security stakes are high.
Palantir has defended its record, insisting that robust contractual and technical measures ensure customers retain control over their data and that concerns of undue access by any external party are unfounded.
The UK government has yet to announce any formal reassessment of existing agreements in response to the parliamentary pressure and the findings of the Swiss report.
