London Mayor Sadiq Khan has blocked a £50 million contract between the Metropolitan Police and the controversial US technology company Palantir, citing a "clear and serious breach" of procurement rules. The deal, which would have been Palantir's largest in British policing, aimed to use the company's artificial intelligence to automate intelligence analysis in criminal investigations.
Procurement Concerns
The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac), which must approve contracts of this size, withheld approval after finding that Scotland Yard had engaged seriously with only one potential supplier. Khan's office also expressed concerns that the Met risked becoming locked into Palantir's technology and that the proposed deal had not demonstrated value for money. A spokesperson for the mayor stated that Londoners expect public money to be paid only to companies that "share the values of our city."
Legal and Reputational Risks
In a letter to Met Commissioner Mark Rowley, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Kaya Comer-Schwartz highlighted the failure to obtain Mopac's approval for the procurement strategy. She noted that no acceptable explanation had been provided, creating "legal and reputation risks" for both Scotland Yard and the mayor. The contract was originally costed at £15-25 million per year, with the proposed deal at the top of that range.
Palantir's Broader Controversy
Palantir, co-founded by tech billionaire Peter Thiel, has faced rising public and political concern over its expanding role in UK public services. The company holds over £600 million in contracts with the NHS, Ministry of Defence, Financial Conduct Authority, and several police forces. It has also worked with the Israeli military and Trump's immigration enforcement operations. Its CEO, Alex Karp, recently published a manifesto extolling US power, which one MP described as "the ramblings of a supervillain."
Ethics and Procurement
While company ethics cannot currently be considered in public procurement processes, the mayor's spokesperson said Khan would raise the issue with the government. Thousands have signed petitions calling for the cancellation of Palantir contracts, including a £330 million NHS data platform deal. MPs have labeled the contracts as "dreadful" and "shameful," and the government has admitted it is "no fan" of the company's politics.
Impact on Policing AI Efforts
Khan's move is a setback for the Labour government's push to use AI in policing. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood recently called for police to "ramp up use of AI" and adopt the technology "at pace and scale." A national policing strategy includes a £115 million investment to create a platform for identifying and scaling AI technology. Despite the block, Palantir is still eligible to bid for future contracts, and Mopac said it would work with the Met on a new procurement process.
Other Police Uses of Palantir
Other forces using Palantir AI have described it as transformative, enabling rapid processing of evidence from mobile phones. Bedfordshire police credited the system with helping dismantle an organized crime gang that stole £800,000 from cash machines. However, a recent Met trial using Palantir to monitor staff behavior was awarded directly without competition, raising further concerns.
