As with previous scandals, the lack of transparency appears to be a feature, not a bug, of NHS Digital's outsourcing practices. Until now most patients haven't even been made aware of the fact that their most sensitive data is up for sale, or that it could end up being managed by deeply conflicted companies like Palantir. This is a company that specialises in online surveillance. Its main line of business is to provide data-science support to US military operations, mass surveillance, and predictive policing. In February, Palantir's chief operating officer told investors that Palantir was driving towards being "inside of every missile, inside of every drone."