FCA challenged over Palantir data sharing deal

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is facing calls to prove that its partnership with US technology provider Palantir will not give the Trump administration backdoor access to sensitive citizen and commercial data. Palantir is currently conducting a 12-week trial applying artificial intelligence (AI) to the FCA's data, including case intelligence files, fraud reports, consumer complaints, and social media data.

Martin Wrigley MP, a member of Parliament's Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee, warned that US laws could oblige Palantir to disclose information to American authorities. While the FCA stated that the US Cloud Act does not apply because it remains the data controller, Mariano delli Santi, legal and policy officer at the Open Rights Group, disputes this claim, noting that data processors are not automatically exempt from US legislation. He goes on to warn that US authorities can access data held by American businesses under laws like the USA Patriot Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which bypass UK legal frameworks. 

In related news, 90s trip-hop icons Massive Attack are highlighting the activities of the analytics company during their live shows. The band has been using custom-made facial recognition software designed to scan a crowd of 75,000 people. The software displays the faces of individuals on screen, labelling them with satirical descriptors.

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