Coventry City Council to reassess £500k annual deal with Palantir after protests over ties to Israeli military

Following a demonstration urging Coventry City Council to end its partnership with technology firm Palantir on Tuesday 2 September, cabinet members have announced that they will review the contract over the next four weeks.

As reported by The Guardian, the contract expands on a one-year pilot scheme which uses AI to summarise social workers’ records and transcribe case notes. The agreement would see the increased use of Palantir’s AI technology in services supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Several ethical concerns have been raised regarding the technology firm’s existing relationships with international organisations.

In January 2024, the firm entered into a “strategic partnership” with the Israeli Defense Ministry, providing technology for “war-related missions.” This year, Palantir signed a $30 million contract with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), using their technology for “self-deportation tracking” and “streamlining selection of illegal aliens.”

I personally agree with the sentiments regarding the divestment of all funds which are used in genocide … Whenever this is brought before the council, I’ll be supporting [the protestors’] concerns and agreeing with what [they’ve] said

Abdul Khan, Coventry City Councillor and Deputy Leader

Speaking to protestors outside the Council House on Tuesday 2 September, Councillor and Deputy Leader Abdul Khan stated: “We are reviewing the Palantir contract … I personally agree with the sentiments regarding the divestment of all funds which are used in genocide all across the world, particularly, at the moment, in Gaza. So, whenever this is brought before the council, I’ll be supporting your concerns and agreeing with what you’ve said.”

In a statement released on social media, Independent Westwood Councillor Grace Lewis confirmed the council’s decision to review the contract. She wrote: “I welcome the Deputy Leader’s recognition that public money must not fund companies participating in Genocide, and his commitment to review the contract over the next 4 weeks. This review must be urgent and transparent.”

Councillor Lewis originally described the contract as “indefensible and heinous” and “made behind closed doors”.

Councillor Khan’s statement signals a deepening divide over the Palantir contract within Coventry Council’s Labour cabinet.

Defending the partnership at Tuesday’s council meeting, cabinet member for strategic finance Richard Brown stated that: “AI is a valuable tool that has the potential to allow us to make the right changes. Many other councils are doing exactly the same. To do nothing, as Councillor Lewis wants, is not an option.”

Councillor Brown did not respond to Lewis’ request for assurance that there would be no job losses arising from the contract and the council’s further integration of AI.

This is a critical moment to draw a line and defend our public services from being handed over to a private surveillance and defence company

Grace Lewis, Independent Westwood Councillor

A spokesperson for Coventry City Council told The Boar: “The Council is actively exploring how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help improve services for residents and deliver them more efficiently. As part of this initiative, we are evaluating a range of AI solutions and technology partners, including Palantir, to support our AI objectives.”

This comes as an increasing number of local authorities and social workers are considering using AI to reduce the “admin burden” and improve support for students with special educational needs. A Palantir spokesperson told The Guardian that the use of AI will allow staff to “spend less time on paperwork and more time directly supporting children.”

Despite Coventry City Council’s contract being the first of its kind between Palantir and a local authority in the UK, the firm has partnered with several organisations, including almost a dozen police forces across the country. The council’s decision to use their services has raised several security concerns due to Palantir’s ongoing surveillance partnerships elsewhere in Britain.

Liberty Investigates recently revealed that a Palantir pilot project named ‘Nectar’ will work with police forces to collect information from 11 personal data categories. Information such as sexual orientation, race, trade union membership, religion, and political beliefs of suspects, victims, and witnesses of crime – including children – could be collected. The project currently works with police in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire, among other local forces, with a view to “eventually apply[ing] it nationally”, according to an internal police memo.

Councillor Lewis told The Boar: “If Palantir remains in Coventry, it risks setting a dangerous precedent for other councils to follow suit. This is a critical moment to draw a line and defend our public services from being handed over to a private surveillance and defence company.”