Comrade Ali Speaks about Palantir at Bristol Transformed
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In this powerful episode of Proletarian Radio, health worker and CPGBML member Ali delivers a scathing critique of Palantir's role in the UK's National Health Service (NHS), framing the company as a tool of imperialist surveillance capitalism. Drawing from the company's origins in CIA-backed venture capital and its ties to Peter Thiel and Jeffrey Epstein, Ali exposes Palantir's military and intelligence applications—including its use in drone strikes and targeted killings in the Middle East—arguing that its integration into the NHS represents a dangerous fusion of corporate power and state control. The episode details the grassroots 'No Palantir in the NHS' campaign led by Health Workers for a Free Palestine, which has mobilized health professionals, unions, and community groups through FOI requests, public demonstrations, and strategic lobbying. Key milestones include the release of a legally vetted briefing endorsed by Amnesty International and the creation of a public rollout tracker to monitor NHS trust adoption. Ali emphasizes the campaign's principles: in-house development, open-source software, data sovereignty, and ethical use of patient information, while rejecting Palantir’s predatory contract model. The discussion concludes with a call to action against digital ID systems and broader surveillance, linking the NHS struggle to global resistance movements.
Palantir’s NHS contract is a predatory, non-competitive deal that locks in surveillance infrastructure and undermines data sovereignty.
The 'No Palantir in the NHS' campaign is a grassroots, worker-led movement using FOI requests, public pressure, and coalition-building to challenge corporate control of health data.
Palantir’s history in military surveillance and its ties to apartheid-era wealth and global espionage make it fundamentally incompatible with public healthcare ethics.
The campaign advocates for in-house NHS data systems, open-source tools, and true opt-out mechanisms—rejecting Palantir’s closed, vendor-locked model.
Health workers face professional retaliation for opposing Palantir, highlighting the need for union and solidarity support in resistance efforts.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Origins of Palantir and Its Imperialist Roots
“The name Palantir comes from the Tolkien Lord of the Rings book which is magical stones that allow you to spy on people which were used by the villains in the book. This should tell you all you need about it.”
Palantir’s Military and Surveillance Applications
“They even use the Mavis system to bomb those innocent little girls in Iran. They even double tapped the strike. As a father, you don't know how much this burns me. This is literal terrorism.”
Palantir’s NHS Contract and Predatory Tactics
“Their contract with the NHS has vendor lock closed and the contract itself is heavily redacted. This makes the contract intentionally difficult to pull out of. This is a clear predatory capitalist tactic.”
The No Palantir in the NHS Campaign: Strategy and Milestones
“We launched the briefing with an online webinar. It was really well attended and it's available online if anyone fancies watching it.”
Alternatives, Resistance, and the Broader Fight
Ali discusses potential alternatives like OpenSafely and Greater Manchester’s in-house system, advocating for NHS-insourced, open-source data platforms. The campaign also links Palantir to digital ID and global surveillance, calling for unified resistance.
“They even use the Mavis system to bomb those innocent little girls in Iran. They even double tapped the strike. As a father, you don't know how much this burns me. This is literal terrorism.”
“The name Palantir comes from the Tolkien Lord of the Rings book which is magical stones that allow you to spy on people which were used by the villains in the book. This should tell you all you need about it.”
“We must all have our own campaign of no cooperation with the surveillance state, no to silence, no to surrender, and we must support the resistance all over the world.”
Host
Guest
Palantir
organization
NHS England
organization
Ali
person
Health Workers for a Free Palestine
organization
Federated Data Platform
other
Peter Thiel
person
Bristol
place
Alex Karp
person
Good Law Project
organization
Pegasus Spyware
other
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