KEEP COVENTRY'S DATA IN PUBLIC HANDS
Sensitive information about children, families, workers and residents should be managed transparently and in the public interest.
ABOUT US
We believe Coventry's public services belong to the people of Coventry.
Drop Palantir Now is a broad-based campaign bringing together workers, trade unionists, community campaigners, and residents who believe that sensitive public data and public services should be controlled in the public interest.
Our demands
We are campaigning against Coventry City Council's use of Palantir and demanding that the Council:
- Terminate its contract with Palantir
- Bring data management and technology in-house
- Protect public-sector jobs and expertise
- Guarantee meaningful consultation with staff and recognised trade unions
- Give Coventry residents a genuine say over how their data is collected, managed and used
- Invest in properly funded and properly staffed public services rather than outsourcing their future to multinational corporations
It is about who controls our public services, who controls our data and who gets to decide how our communities are run.
WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE
PROTECT PUBLIC-SECTOR JOBS
Technology should support workers — not be used as a route to cutting jobs, outsourcing expertise or driving down conditions.
BUILD PUBLIC CAPACITY
Instead of spending ever more money on private contractors, Coventry should invest in its own digital infrastructure, staff and expertise.
PUT DEMOCRACY FIRST
Residents and workers should have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their services, their jobs and their data.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Palantir?
Palantir is a US technology company that develops software for managing, analysing and integrating large datasets. Its customers include governments, security agencies, militaries and private organisations.
Why are you campaigning against Palantir?
We have concerns about Palantir's involvement with Israel and the genocide in Palestine, its work with US immigration enforcement, surveillance, the handling of sensitive data, democratic accountability, public-sector outsourcing and the long-term dependency that can result from placing critical infrastructure in private hands.
Why does Coventry City Council use Palantir?
The Council has engaged Palantir to provide AI-related services within children's services. We are calling for greater transparency about the contract, its purpose, cost, alternatives and safeguards.
Isn't AI useful?
Technology can be useful in public services.
Our question is who controls it, how it is used, what data it relies upon and who is accountable for the decisions it supports.
We believe technology should strengthen public services and make life easier for staff rather than create dependence on private corporations.
What should happen instead?
We want Coventry to invest in its own staff, technology and expertise, with decisions made transparently and with meaningful involvement from workers, recognised trade unions and Coventry residents.