Minister must keep Palantir out of Northern Ireland’s health service

Amnesty International is urging Northern Ireland health minister Mike Nesbitt to block any involvement of the US software company Palantir in the local health service.

In 2023 NHS England awarded a £330 million contract to provide a new data platform, a contract which is due for renewal in February 2027.

In 2024, Palantir signed a contract with the Israeli military to use its technology to support “war-related missions” during an ongoing genocide against Palestinians in occupied Gaza.

The company also supplies Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with tools that are used to track and surveil migrants in the US.

In a letter to health minister Mike Nesbitt, Amnesty International has called on him to ensure Palantir plays no role in Northern Ireland’s health service.

Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty’s Northern Ireland Director, said:

“Palantir is a company linked to a range of human rights abuses, including genocide in Gaza and violation of the rights of migrants in the USA, and has a track record of disregarding international law and standards. It has no place in Northern Ireland’s health service.

“Palantir lobbied UK Government ministers to obtain a £330 million contract with NHS England in 2023, and we need an assurance from the health minister that we will not see any similar contracts here in Northern Ireland.

"The NHS was built on values of dignity and humanity. No company that profits from widespread human rights violations has a place in our health service.”

Objections to the Palantir NHS England contract are set out in a March 2026 briefing by Medact, supported by Amnesty International.