Palantir is complicit in Israel's genocide in Gaza. Most directly, they helped developed an app called Lavender that explicitly identified "targets" and then facilitated the kill chain with check-the-box level of human approval at the last step. This organization is an embodiment of evil and shouldn't be trusted with any of our healthcare data.
Samantha Brown - 4 weeks ago
All you have to do is Google Alex Karp's interview at Dealbook last December. Or read The Contrarian - the book about Peter Theil. Also Ross Douhat did a NYT video with Theil talking about God and existential life. So no...They don't get my data.
Genevieve - 4 weeks ago
Personally, I don't trust any of the companies with my data, regardless of the potential benefit to me. There's always going to be a profit in play, which means any benefit I might receive is outweighed by the potential for either the use of my data manipulating me and steering me to buy certain things, or using my data against me in discriminatory ways.
Sam - 4 weeks ago
To understand Palantir, let's look at what it's named for.
In LotR, a Palantir was a part of a trusted surveillance and communications network. When a single node of that network was corrupted by a malicious actor it became dangerous. The wise would only use it if they were also corrupted (Saruman) or with careful firewalls. An honest fool (Pippin) might use it but they'd be exposed and risk compromising their whole organization.
I'd be very wary about joining a network that attaches itself to that fictional history.
For the terminally online the term "torment nexus" comes to mind.
James Pennington - 4 weeks ago
I've been in healthcare 35 years and in my opinion, there's never really been any confidentiality.
Don - 4 weeks ago
Whatever we say, it is going to happen in the next few years. Maybe it will be summarized like credit bureaus but ultimately, it will be sold to insurance companies, pharma, etc.
SB - 4 weeks ago
Palantir and 'reputable' are at opposite ends of the spectrum (at least in the UK). Palantir's shadowy past is not one that should be mixed with confidential patient records. The NHS should terminate that contract immediately and move to another more local platform.
Michael P. - 4 weeks ago
Is this question about Palantir specifically? The wording of the question is unusual: “a data analytics company *like Palantir*”.
For many people. Palantir is the opposite of “reputable”—seen more as a shadowy spy tech company tied to business leaders who are deeply distrusted and even despised, and also tied to US intelligence organizations that are even more shadowy and distrusted.
Trusting Palantir with the power they already have is foolish. That power is rapidly expanding with the growing number of hospital contracts for Palantir Foundry and their AI services for hospital operations and patient care services. Medical records should be used primarily for patient care.
Once patient data is obtained and consolidated via a “land and expand” strategy, the uses of that data will also expand and could reasonably include government intelligence operation. Broadly incorporating healthcare data into spy tech tools is not acceptable.
Given the powerful information tools that Palantir has already developed, including those actively being used today in Minneapolis for political suppression, we can reasonably expect that their access to medical data would be misused to violate citizen and human rights and lead to the direct harm of individuals.
As in the Tolkien tales from where the name Palantir was taken, these powerful data tools will be misused by those with hubris and fear, transformed into weapons of deception and actively used against people. We lack effective controls over how data will be used—inevitably leading to abuse of that data and harming the subjects of that data.
RysanWelsh - 4 weeks ago
Given the number of data breaches that hospitals have suffered (based on the notifications that I've received from all 3 major health networks where my medical data resides), I wouldn't trust any party to store my data. When I get asked for my SSN or my DL# for physician billing, I now routinely refuse to provide it. My info is everywhere-dark web, data brokers, etc. I've had a fraudulent unemployment claim filed on myself (at my health system place of employment no less!), and multiple attempts to forward my mail and open credit cards in my name. Identity theft is real, people. I spend hundreds of dollars annually on data broker scrubbing, and have my credit reports frozen, etc. But the real issue is that no one is safe from data brokering and selling of personal data, and especially any company owned by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs with ties to this government.
Bob - 4 weeks ago
are you kidding me? lol,
Billionaires Suck - 4 weeks ago
You need an option for "F No!"
Evan - 4 weeks ago
Why not, if it's a reputable company with strong data protections? Hospitals and practices entrust their data with their EHR vendors, some of which likely don't have data security policies that are as strong as Palantir's whose clients include the CDC, NHS, DOD, CIA, FBI, DHS, etc.
Palantir is complicit in Israel's genocide in Gaza. Most directly, they helped developed an app called Lavender that explicitly identified "targets" and then facilitated the kill chain with check-the-box level of human approval at the last step. This organization is an embodiment of evil and shouldn't be trusted with any of our healthcare data.
All you have to do is Google Alex Karp's interview at Dealbook last December. Or read The Contrarian - the book about Peter Theil. Also Ross Douhat did a NYT video with Theil talking about God and existential life. So no...They don't get my data.
Personally, I don't trust any of the companies with my data, regardless of the potential benefit to me. There's always going to be a profit in play, which means any benefit I might receive is outweighed by the potential for either the use of my data manipulating me and steering me to buy certain things, or using my data against me in discriminatory ways.
To understand Palantir, let's look at what it's named for.
In LotR, a Palantir was a part of a trusted surveillance and communications network. When a single node of that network was corrupted by a malicious actor it became dangerous. The wise would only use it if they were also corrupted (Saruman) or with careful firewalls. An honest fool (Pippin) might use it but they'd be exposed and risk compromising their whole organization.
I'd be very wary about joining a network that attaches itself to that fictional history.
For the terminally online the term "torment nexus" comes to mind.
I've been in healthcare 35 years and in my opinion, there's never really been any confidentiality.
Whatever we say, it is going to happen in the next few years. Maybe it will be summarized like credit bureaus but ultimately, it will be sold to insurance companies, pharma, etc.
Palantir and 'reputable' are at opposite ends of the spectrum (at least in the UK). Palantir's shadowy past is not one that should be mixed with confidential patient records. The NHS should terminate that contract immediately and move to another more local platform.
Is this question about Palantir specifically? The wording of the question is unusual: “a data analytics company *like Palantir*”.
For many people. Palantir is the opposite of “reputable”—seen more as a shadowy spy tech company tied to business leaders who are deeply distrusted and even despised, and also tied to US intelligence organizations that are even more shadowy and distrusted.
Trusting Palantir with the power they already have is foolish. That power is rapidly expanding with the growing number of hospital contracts for Palantir Foundry and their AI services for hospital operations and patient care services. Medical records should be used primarily for patient care.
Once patient data is obtained and consolidated via a “land and expand” strategy, the uses of that data will also expand and could reasonably include government intelligence operation. Broadly incorporating healthcare data into spy tech tools is not acceptable.
Given the powerful information tools that Palantir has already developed, including those actively being used today in Minneapolis for political suppression, we can reasonably expect that their access to medical data would be misused to violate citizen and human rights and lead to the direct harm of individuals.
As in the Tolkien tales from where the name Palantir was taken, these powerful data tools will be misused by those with hubris and fear, transformed into weapons of deception and actively used against people. We lack effective controls over how data will be used—inevitably leading to abuse of that data and harming the subjects of that data.
Given the number of data breaches that hospitals have suffered (based on the notifications that I've received from all 3 major health networks where my medical data resides), I wouldn't trust any party to store my data. When I get asked for my SSN or my DL# for physician billing, I now routinely refuse to provide it. My info is everywhere-dark web, data brokers, etc. I've had a fraudulent unemployment claim filed on myself (at my health system place of employment no less!), and multiple attempts to forward my mail and open credit cards in my name. Identity theft is real, people. I spend hundreds of dollars annually on data broker scrubbing, and have my credit reports frozen, etc. But the real issue is that no one is safe from data brokering and selling of personal data, and especially any company owned by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs with ties to this government.
are you kidding me? lol,
You need an option for "F No!"
Why not, if it's a reputable company with strong data protections? Hospitals and practices entrust their data with their EHR vendors, some of which likely don't have data security policies that are as strong as Palantir's whose clients include the CDC, NHS, DOD, CIA, FBI, DHS, etc.