Over 44,000 File Legal Objections to Palantir-Run NHS Data Platform

More than 44,000 people have submitted formal legal objections under Article 21 of the UK GDPR seeking to stop NHS England's Federated Data Platform from sharing, storing, or using their personal health records, according to reporting from The Next Web (https://thenextweb.com/news/palantir-nhs-data-platform-44000-objections-38-degrees) citing the Guardian. The legal filings request that health authorities pause processing the individuals' data while their requests are evaluated.

Under Article 21, organizations must cease processing personal data upon objection unless they can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds to continue. The campaign was organized by the non-profit group 38 Degrees, whose campaigns director, Veronica Hawking, argued that the scale of public pushback signals deep public concern over health data confidentiality and Palantir's involvement.

Resistance to Palantir's NHS engagement extends beyond the GDPR filings. Healthcare charity MedAct reported that more than 85,000 patients have lodged formal complaints directly with their hospitals, as reported by The Register. Advocacy groups Amnesty International and Just Treatment also demonstrated outside Palantir's London office over the company's defense work for the Israeli military and U.S. immigration enforcement. In response to scrutiny over its defense engagements, Palantir executive Louis Mosley previously stated that company software helped locate hostages in Gaza and was not used for military targeting.

NHS England stated that it will respond to all objections under data protection law, adding that individual NHS organizations retain control of their records within the platform and that suppliers cannot access data for their own purposes. Palantir said it processes patient information strictly according to NHS instructions and that all data remains hosted in the UK. The company also highlighted performance metrics, stating that trusts using the platform have logged 117,000 additional operations and achieved a 14.3% reduction in discharge delays for long-stay patients.

Palantir was awarded the lead role on the seven-year, £330 million contract in November 2023. The deal's initial term expires early next year, leaving the UK government with the option to extend the agreement or trigger a break clause. Campaigners state that September 30 marks the contractual deadline for Palantir to deliver an exit plan to NHS England, while two House of Commons select committees have urged ministers to terminate the arrangement.

Internal NHS technical leadership has also questioned the program. The Chief Data and Analytics Officers Network, representing senior data personnel across the NHS, sent a letter urging the government to consider the break clause. The network wrote that the platform has failed to demonstrate the level of evidence, confidence, and realized value expected from sustained investment and policy backing. A UK health minister previously warned that mistrust of Palantir is accelerating patient opt-outs from broader NHS data-sharing initiatives.

Even amid the healthcare dispute, Palantir has continued expanding its UK public sector footprint. Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson joined Palantir this month to advise on UK government business, and Britain's electrical grid operator recently awarded the company a £21 million direct contract without competitive tender.