Palantir and London’s Policing Office Settle Their Fight Over a Met Police AI Contract

Palantir and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), which oversees London’s Metropolitan Police on behalf of Mayor Sadiq Khan, have ended their High Court dispute over a blocked Met Police AI contract. The two sides announced the settlement in a joint statement on 14 October 2026, as reported by The Guardian and City AM.

What the dispute was about

In May 2026, MOPAC blocked a proposed two-year deal for Palantir to provide the Met with an AI system called unified operational analytics (UOA), which would help process intelligence in criminal investigations. Press reports put the contract’s value at about £50m. According to The Guardian, Palantir sued MOPAC in June, claiming the decision was influenced by concerns about the company’s values.

What the two sides agreed

Both sides have withdrawn their allegations against each other, The Guardian reported. According to The Guardian, the joint statement said MOPAC’s decision “was not based on Palantir’s values or ethics or any wider reporting about the company”. It said MOPAC’s decision was based on “the appropriate legal tests and the relevant guidance on procurement, governance, affordability and ensuring value for money for Londoners.”

City AM reported that MOPAC confirmed it had never had a policy against contracting with Palantir, and that the company is welcome to bid in a new procurement process for the system.

The Guardian reported that each side is paying its own legal costs, that no one has admitted liability and that no damages have been paid. The settlement heads off a High Court trial that had been set for January 2027.

“Palantir makes a significant contribution to jobs and investment in the capital,” Khan said, as quoted by The Guardian.

What this means

• No trial. The court fight is over before it reached a hearing.
• The contract is open again. A new procurement is under way, and Palantir can bid.
• Values are off the table. Both sides say the block was about process, not ethics.

Sources

1. Joint statement from MOPAC and Palantir, 14 October 2026. https://www.london.gov.uk/statement-mopac-and-palantir
2. The Guardian, “Palantir and Sadiq Khan drop legal battle over Met contract”, 14 October 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/oct/14/palantir-and-sadiq-khan-drop-legal-battle-over-met-contract
3. City AM, “Khan climbdown: Palantir settles £50m Met row after fears of ‘unlawful’ bias”, Saskia Koopman, 14 October 2026. https://www.cityam.com/khan-climbdown-palantir-settles-50m-met-row-after-fears-of-unlawful-bias/

Related stories

• Anthropic Sues the Pentagon to Stop a National Security Blacklist