Palantir Technologies Inc., the US data-analysis company, is under investigation by the UK's national health service (NHS) for potentially breaching its recent contract. The company launched an influencer marketing campaign just a week after signing the controversial deal with the NHS, without obtaining prior consent. The campaign aimed to counter criticisms of the patient data platform that Palantir is building for the health service.
According to emails obtained by the legal nonprofit Good Law Project and shared with Bloomberg, Palantir contracted with a digital marketing agency to reach out to content personalities as part of the campaign. The objective of the campaign was to dispel misinformation regarding data privacy concerns previously shared in the UK press. However, Palantir failed to obtain consent from NHS England for the marketing campaign, which is prohibited by the contract terms.
Palantir referred to the campaign, run by Topham Guerin, as an "exploratory project" that did not progress further. Louis Mosley, Palantir's executive vice president for the UK and Europe, stated that "the campaign was not discussed with NHS England." The company also clarified that they are no longer working with Topham Guerin, the agency that previously ran campaigns for the Conservative Party.
Documents reveal that Palantir had planned to launch the campaign before December 22nd, which highlights the potential breach of contract. This incident marks a shaky start for Palantir, as its involvement with the NHS has faced intense scrutiny from patient advocacy groups concerned about the security and confidentiality of medical data.
The Good Law Project has been vocal in raising concerns about Palantir's partnership with NHS England, citing the company's ability to handle private medical data securely as a major worry. The organization has criticized the lack of transparency surrounding the platform's data handling processes and has described Palantir as one of the most questionable companies to gain access to medical records.
Palantir has expressed concerns about the Good Law Project spreading misinformation regarding its work. The company sought the assistance of an agency subcontracted by Topham Guerin to contact healthcare, tech, and data privacy influencers, enquiring about their fees for promoting a video and tweet to raise awareness and educate the public about Palantir's contract with the NHS.
Influencers were briefed on specific messaging, including highlighting Palantir's previous support for the NHS Covid vaccine rollout, explaining the purpose of the data platform, and countering allegations of selling patient data. However, influencers were instructed to maintain confidentiality and refrain from tagging Palantir in their posts.
The breach of contract and subsequent investigation raises concerns regarding Palantir's ability to handle sensitive patient data. As the NHS continues to prioritize patient privacy and data security, it remains to be seen how this incident will impact the future of Palantir's involvement with the UK's national health service.