The key facts

  • MPs Corbyn, Maskell and Adam received letters from Palantir after criticising the company in parliament and saw them as pressure
  • Palantir describes the letters as an attempt to correct what it says are inaccurate claims about the company
  • The company retains contracts with the NHS, the Ministry of Defence and the police; the dispute with the Mayor of London's office over a £50 million contract was settled without court

Letters to MPs after criticism

British parliamentarians who criticised the American technology company Palantir received letters from its executives and saw this as an attempt to intimidate critics, Novara Media reported. Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Labour MP Rachael Maskell received letters on 3 June from Louis Mosley, head of Palantir's UK division, listing their statements about the company in parliament and offering meetings.

MPs' reaction

“I have no doubt about why Palantir is writing these letters to MPs — to intimidate critics and silence them,” Corbyn said, adding that such tactics would not stop him from opposing the company's involvement in public services. Maskell, who represents York Central, said the correspondence would not change her approach to a company that holds contracts with the NHS, the Ministry of Defence and the police. “Clearly there is a reason why Palantir is paying such close attention to the scrutiny MPs have given this company,” she noted.

Two more MPs and a call for explanations

Independent MP Shockat Adam also received a letter from the head of public relations at Palantir's UK office after critical social media posts about the company's involvement in the NHS and a now-completed contract with Leicestershire Police. Adam called on Palantir executives Peter Thiel, Alex Karp and Louis Mosley to explain their roles before parliament, saying the public has a right to know how the company's software was used in public services and the armed forces. Labour MP Clive Lewis separately criticised a letter from the senior vice-president of Palantir's UK office, former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson, warning that the company was monitoring his activities related to Palantir.

The company's position

A Palantir spokesperson said the letters were intended to correct statements about the company that it considers inaccurate, and that it would continue to respond if politicians repeat what it calls false claims.

Context of disputes around the company

Palantir has long been controversial in a number of countries: co-founder Peter Thiel, a supporter of the Trump administration, has repeatedly expressed scepticism about traditional democratic institutions. The company has also been criticised by human rights groups over reports that it provided the Israeli military with AI-based systems, including support for targeting and data analysis, as well as critical data infrastructure, for operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

Settlement of the dispute with London's City Hall

Recently, Palantir and the office of London Mayor Sadiq Khan withdrew mutual accusations in a dispute over a £50 million ($65 million) police technology contract, avoiding a High Court trial scheduled for January. Palantir filed a lawsuit against the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) in June after Khan blocked a proposed two-year contract for the Metropolitan Police to use AI to process intelligence in criminal investigations. The mayor's intervention followed concerns about the company's work with the Israeli military and the Trump administration's immigration policy; Khan previously said Londoners want public money to go to companies that “share our city's values.” The agreement was reached a month after Tom Watson was hired by Palantir full-time as a lobbyist. The company had previously expressed concern that being excluded from public contracts over objections to its leadership's values could undermine its ability to operate in the UK.