Palantir – since 2009

Request

I would like to request information relating to any contracts this police force has or has had with Palantir Technologies Inc or Palantir Technologies UK, since 2009. I am requesting this data under the Freedom of Information Act. 

  

1. Contracts and Commercial Arrangements

A list of all current and past contracts, agreements, pilot programs, or Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between your force and Palantir. For each, please provide: 

  

i) The start and end dates.

  

ii) The total monetary value of the contract/agreement.

  

iii) The specific software platforms or services provided (e.g., Palantir Gotham, Palantir Foundry, Palantir Apollo, AIP, or involvement in the ‘Nectar’ project). 

  

iv) A summary of the scope of work outlining what Palantir was contracted to do.

  

2. Reviews and Evaluations

Please provide copies of any internal or independent reviews, audits, or evaluations assessing the performance, value for money, or operational effectiveness of Palantir’s software or pilot programs. This includes, but is not limited to:   

• Outcome reports or post-implementation reviews of pilot programs (such as ‘Project Nectar’). 

• Any ethical reviews or minutes from ethics committees discussing the deployment of Palantir software or its underlying artificial intelligence capabilities.   

Anticipating an NCND Response 

  

I am aware that some UK police forces have previously relied on Section 24 (National Security) and Section 31 (Law Enforcement) to issue “Neither Confirm Nor Deny” (NCND) responses regarding Palantir.   

  

I respectfully remind you that several UK police forces, including Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Leicestershire, have already publicly confirmed their use of Palantir’s services (such as the ‘Nectar’ pilot). This establishes a clear precedent that confirming a commercial relationship with this vendor does not inherently prejudice law enforcement or national security.   

  

Furthermore, Palantir is a well-known provider of AI-enabled analytics. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Covenant for Using Artificial Intelligence in Policing, endorsed by all UK forces, explicitly states that ‘transparency and fairness must be at the heart of what we implement, to ensure a proportionate and responsible use that builds public confidence’. 

  

It states in ‘Principle B. Transparent: All use of AI will be subject to ‘Maximum Transparency by Default’ (MTbD)’ 

  

And 

  

‘B1. Forces should ensure the public are aware of AI uses. This will typically include publishing an overview of the algorithms used and the known limitations of the training data used.’ 

 

 

An NCND response would directly contradict this public commitment.   

  

If this request is too wide or unclear, please contact me as required under your Section 16 duty to provide advice and assistance. If any parts of the requested documents are exempt from disclosure, please redact those specific sections rather than withholding the documents in their entirety.