UK: Palantir Rejects Digital ID Links Over Democratic Legitimacy Concerns
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
Digital IDs are a necessary step forward to improve British society. Any proposed policy will contain no more private data than that which is happily given away to private companies on a daily basis, but this time with the upside of helping curb illegal migration and streamlining government services. Hysteria around the concept is nothing more than fear mongering.
Opposition narrative
Palantir's refusal to join the U.K.'s digital ID scheme is a sound decision. As Mosley explained, the program lacks a "clear public mandate" from the ballot box – it wasn't in election manifestos or tested with voters. This is yet another powerful reminder of how badly the government has overstepped the mark with its deeply authoritarian policy.
Cynical narrative
With Palantir's entire business built on participating in surveillance operations containing little democratic accountability, this news feels little more than the pot calling the kettle black. Before any attempt to claim the moral high ground, Palantir should take a look at its own consistent involvement in unpopular Orwellian overreach.
Metaculus Prediction
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