Met’s Palantir deployment turns heat on its own officers • The Register

https://www.theregister.com/2026/04/30/met_police_palantir_deployment_cop_probe/

Publish Date: 2026-04-30 05:29:00

London cops are being told by their staff association to be “extremely cautious” about carrying work devices off duty, after the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) deployed Palantir’s technology to investigate hundreds of its own officers.

The Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents more than 30,000 MPS officers, is considering legal action over the force’s use of the US firm’s AI to analyze employee data, including location tracking.

Palantir declares itself the guardian of Americans’ rights

“Courageous colleagues across London do not deserve to be treated with this level of suspicion by their Big Brother Bosses,” said Matt Cane, the federation’s general secretary, in a statement.

“For several weeks, the federation has known of Met’s intention to upgrade its Lawful Business Monitoring software, yet we were never informed that the upgrade would include the deployment of Palantir’s artificial intelligence. This continuous 24/7 geo-location tracking is highly intrusive and risks monitoring officers when they are off duty, on rest days, or at home. This presumption of wrongdoing and attack on officer’s personal lives is unacceptable.”

The MPS said last week it had introduced new capabilities with Palantir – best-known for its military and security work – to consolidate professional standards data the force holds on its officers.

“This represents a significant step forward, enabling a stronger public health style approach focused on early identification, prevention and proportionate intervention,” it said, citing examples such as flagging staff who rarely attend work and yet have declared a second job.

The MPS said Palantir’s service has already helped identify serious corruption leading to the arrest of two officers and the suspension of two more. It is also investigating 98 officers for abuse of the shift roster IT system, with 500 others sent prevention notices, and is assessing 42 senior leaders for misconduct after they breached hybrid…

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