Senior MPs and privacy campaigners have expressed alarm at the deployment of Palantir’s AI-powered crime-fighting software with access to sensitive personal information

British police forces have signed contracts with a controversial US tech giant to buy AI-powered software that uses data about an individual’s race, sex life, health and political beliefs, it can be revealed.

An internal police memo obtained by The i Paper and Liberty Investigates confirms an intention to “nationally” apply the “Nectar” intelligence system, currently deployed as a pilot by the Bedfordshire force after being developed with Silicon Valley data analysis group Palantir Technologies.

The document, obtained under freedom of information rules, shows how the Palantir system is designed to bring together dozens of existing law enforcement databases into a single computing platform to draw up detailed profiles of suspects, as well as collate information on victims of crime, witnesses, and vulnerable individuals including children.

  • Sergio@slrpnk.net
    7·
    4 days ago

    Oh there are plenty of specious rationalizations. “If I didn’t do it, someone else would” is a common one. “I just give the customers what they want” is another. “The tech has good uses, too” is one of the trickiest. “It’s the only thing I’m good at” is the saddest. If you ever find yourself saying one of these things, take a long hard look at yourself. I don’t know anything about the guy so dunno which one he uses.