In April, the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, urged officers to be “extremely cautious” about carrying Met-issued devices while off duty after the force upgraded its Lawful Business Monitoring software.
The federation’s general secretary, Matt Cane, said staff had not been told the upgrade included the introduction of Palantir’s artificial intelligence technology, appearing to mark its first deployment to monitor Met systems.
In May, Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes told the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee that officers were not under any “additional surveillance in the workplace” after the force began using AI in a bid to root out bad behaviour.
He said the Met had considered the reputational risks of using the “divisive” technology, but added that it helped identify “unacceptable, dishonest, corrosive behaviours” among officers.
The London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac) blocked the Met from signing a two-year contract with Palantir to provide artificial intelligence technology for criminal investigations.
Mopac said the force had failed to set out its procurement strategy, describing this as a “clear and serious breach” of procedure.
Palantir is now suing Mopac, alleging it unlawfully blocked the deal after taking the company’s “values and ethics” into account, which it said was an “irrelevant consideration.
Palantir, founded by controversial tech billionaire Peter Thiel, holds contracts with a number of UK public bodies, including the NHS and the Ministry of Defence.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is currently facing growing pressure from Labour MPs and trade unions to end government contracts with Palantir.
Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson, who recently joined the company, warned against “mob rule” in government procurement.
Lord Watson told Radio 4’s Political Thinking With Nick Robinson: “One of the things I’d say to my former colleagues is, ‘Do you want to let the rule of law lead procurement practice, or do you want to let mob rule lead procurement practices?’
“Because you get yourself in a lot of trouble if you go down on the latter one.”
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