Palantir and Mayor Khan end Met police AI contract dispute

Palantir and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, have withdrawn their legal claims against each other concerning a £50 million contract for the Metropolitan police. The dispute, which had been heading for the High Court in January, has been settled out of court. The contract was for an AI intelligence processing system for criminal investigations.

Background to the dispute

Palantir had sued the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac) in June after Mr Khan blocked the proposed two-year deal. Palantir alleged that the decision to block the contract was based on the company's values and ethics, a claim that had been publicly suggested by the Mayor's office. Palantir's UK and Europe head, Louis Mosley, had stated that Mr Khan was "putting politics above public safety".

Mr Khan had previously stated that Londoners expected public money to be spent with companies that "share the values of our city". Palantir, which also works with the Israeli military and the former US administration, had expressed concern that objections to its leadership's values could hinder its operations in the UK.

Joint statement on the settlement

In a joint statement, Palantir and Mopac confirmed that the decision to block the contract was not based on Palantir's values or ethics. Mopac acknowledged that media reports prior to the decision might have incorrectly suggested that an assessment of the company's values was a factor. The statement clarified that Mopac's consideration was based on its statutory role in examining spend proposals against legal tests, procurement guidance, governance, affordability, and value for money.

Mayor Khan stated, "London is the technology capital of Europe, and I am proud that leading software firms choose the city as their home. Palantir makes a significant contribution to jobs and investment in the capital, employing a large number of Londoners whose services have been procured legally by organisations across the UK and beyond."

Tom Watson, who lobbies for Palantir, said he was pleased that the Mayor's team had corrected any impression that the decision was based on Palantir's values. He added that decisions about technology deployment could still be made on their merits and in the public interest, even when facing pressure groups.

Next steps for the contract

A new procurement process for the £50 million police technology deal is now underway. Mopac has agreed to treat Palantir fairly and equally should the company decide to bid for the contract again. However, Mopac is not obligated to award the contract to Palantir. Both parties will cover their own legal costs, and no admissions of liability or damages have been paid as part of the settlement.