About this episode

The episode discusses the controversial NHS contract with Palantir and its implications for government technology and data privacy.

LIVE SHOW KLAXON!!! Get your tickets to our 30th July London appearance ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE!⁠⁠⁠ The tech giant Palantir, and its billionaire Trump-loving co-founder Peter Thiel, has a £330million deal with the NHS, which has set alarm bells ringing so loudly that multiple Select Committees have called for the contract to be ended at the first opportunity. MPs have warned that once the deal ends, the NHS could be left with no IP, no software and no lasting capability. Palantir has many other government deals, including with the MoD and police, and is deeply enmeshed within the systems that keep key parts of our society functioning. Naomi, Alex and Kenny are joined by regular Quiet Rioter Peter Geoghegan who, along with Lucas Amin, has just published a brilliant long read on the topic in the London Review of Books. It's an eye-opener, highlighting concerns not just about Palantir's effective lobbying operation but about its underlying software systems that have attracted widespread criticism and, in the case of the NHS, often appear to be woefully under-used. Plus, to lighten the mood, a Grin And Share It about one dog's wayward attempt to become Britain's highest hound. ***SPONSOR US AT…

People in this episode

Hosts: Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou, Kenny Campbell

Guest: Peter Geoghegan

Topics covered

• Palantir
• NHS contracts
• government surveillance
• technology ethics
• data privacy

Keywords

• Palantir
• NHS
• Peter Thiel
• government contracts
• data privacy
• technology ethics
• surveillance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Palantir, NHS, MoD, London Review of Books

More episodes of Quiet Riot

• Midnight Mass: Andy's Pitch-In Cabinet · July 21, 2026 · 45 min
• Sunday School: The mayor the merrier · July 18, 2026 · 55 min
• The Summer of 2026 · July 16, 2026 · 1h 2m
• Sunday School: A Bin-Bin Situation · July 12, 2026 · 1h 2m
• B-SIDE: Under the Burnham bonnet · July 10, 2026 · 53 min
• Bindependence Day · July 9, 2026 · 60 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Quiet Riot podcast page.