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Martha Dark

@marthadark.bsky.social
583 followers 974 following 150 posts

Co-founder and director at Foxglove, former Reprieve & Open Rights Group.

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Reposted by Martha Dark
Foxglove Legal @foxglovelegal.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This is happening tonight - still time to get (free) tickets: hear from the people working to challenge Zuckerberg's appallingly harmful business model
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Reposted by Martha Dark
Foxglove Legal @foxglovelegal.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Is Palantir hoping that Lord Watson can provide the Labour connections they previously relied on Lord Mandelson for? Foxglove's @marthadark.bsky.social writes for @techpolicypress.bsky.social: www.techpolicy.press/palantirs-ne...
techpolicy.press
Palantir's New Senior VP Swaps Lords Pass for Labour Leverage
Lord Tom Watson’s new position contrasts starkly with his public views a decade ago, writes Foxglove's Martha Dark.
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Reposted by Martha Dark
Tech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Palantir has hired former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson ahead of a December government decision on a break clause that could end its £330 million role in the NHS's data platform. Foxglove's Martha Dark writes that his "new position contrasts starkly with his public views a decade ago."
buff.ly
Palantir's New Senior VP Swaps Lords Pass for Labour Leverage
Lord Tom Watson’s new position contrasts starkly with his public views a decade ago, writes Foxglove's Martha Dark.
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Donald Campbell @dncampbell.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Good piece from @marthadark.bsky.social on Palantir's new lobbyist: "in 2015, he brought a legal challenge against the UK Government over its plans to 'spy on citizens.' Now, he’s taking up a role at the world’s most prominent spy-tech company."
techpolicy.press
Palantir's New Senior VP Swaps Lords Pass for Labour Leverage
Lord Tom Watson’s new position contrasts starkly with his public views a decade ago, writes Foxglove's Martha Dark.
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
www.techpolicy.press/palantirs-ne... I wrote for @techpolicypress.bsky.social this week on former privacy campaigner & MP Tom Watson's decision to join spy-tech surveillance giant Palantir. Palantir clinging desperately to it's multi-million pound NHS contract as (legit) concerns are raised.
techpolicy.press
Palantir's New Senior VP Swaps Lords Pass for Labour Leverage
Lord Tom Watson’s new position contrasts starkly with his public views a decade ago, writes Foxglove's Martha Dark.
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Reposted by Martha Dark
Cori Crider @coricrider.com · 25/09/2026
SHOTS FIRED: Clive Lewis MP says what needed saying about Palantir’s naked bid to buy access to HMG thru Tom Watson. “Now, the former scourge of mass surveillance finds a surveillance company “the most interesting … on the planet”. It’s quite a journey” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Tom Watson’s move to Palantir is the latest sign of how far the rot has spread in UK politics | Clive Lewis
When a former Labour deputy leader joins a firm built on surveillance and military targeting, it deepens public cynicism – and democracy depends on trust, says Labour MP Clive Lewis
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/is-metas-t... Reminder: Join @foxglovelegal.bsky.social @katibainstitute.bsky.social & more on Tuesday evening to hear from lawyers, campaigners and people challenging Facebook's harmful algorithms and business model around the world. Get your tickets!
eventbrite.co.uk
Is Meta's time up? The legal fights against Meta's harmful business model
Join us for an online event with the lawyers, campaigners and families fighting Meta in legal battles holding Zuckerberg to account.
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Reposted by Martha Dark
United Tech & Allied Workers @utaw.tech · 24/09/2026
Everyone’s talking about AI, but no one’s actually asking workers how it’s affecting us. So we’ve done it ourselves. Today we are launching the AI Workers’ Inquiry, a new study led by workers themselves, into the way AI is changing work. Read it at go.utaw.tech/ai
go.utaw.tech
AI Workers' Inquiry 2026 | Tech Workers Inquiry
How AI is changing work in the tech sector, from the workers who build, deploy, manage, evaluate and use this technology. A Tech Workers' Inquiry from UTAW.
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
UK data centre developers have decided they simply CANNOT wait for national grid connection (300+ in the queue) so are planning to build gas power stations, despite the HUGE emissions that will result in and that will be sure to make Burnham's recent commitment to net 0 by 2050 impossible.
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Thank you @faisalislam.bsky.social for including @foxglovelegal.bsky.social's Woodlands win in your great piece about data centre backlash. Much more in the works..
bbc.co.uk
A backlash over data centres is another threat to the AI juggernaut
The global AI race is being hit by very localised political and environmental concerns
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Great to speak to @novaramedia.com about Tom Watson joining Palantir last night. Palantir is desperate to cling on to the NHS FDP contract in the face of mounting legitimate criticism and committees considering whether to exercise the break clause.
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Reposted by Martha Dark
Mandy J Watson @mandyjwatson.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
If you're from Cape Town and you're wondering where the hell "King Air Industria" is it's the block between Robert Sobukwe (N) and Airport Approach Road (S) and the N2 (W) and the airport (E): www.openstreetmap.org#map=15/-33.9... More info here: www.atterbury.co.za/portfolio-it...
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Reposted by Martha Dark
Stephen Kinsella @stephenstroud.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
It ought to be possible to construct data centres that do not draw heavily on other resources and are still profitable. If it is not possible to do that, they obviously need a rethink. 
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
New case alert 🚨 together with our friends at Housing Assembly and represented by Legal Resource Centre we’ve filed a new legal case challenging plans for a hyperscale data centre in Cape Town. @foxglovelegal.bsky.social. More here www.ft.com/content/2f3d...
ft.com
US-listed Equinix faces challenge over South African hyperscale data centre
Campaigners want project approval overturned as rapid AI infrastructure build-out puts focus on power and water supplies
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Reposted by Martha Dark
Foxglove Legal @foxglovelegal.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Foxglove is supporting the case of Abrham Meareg against Meta following the murder of his father after he was doxxed in a Facebook post promoted by Meta's algorithm. For four years, Meta has fought tooth and nail to avoid responsibility. Read more here: www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
What could Meta’s US settlement mean around the world – and what now for other claims against firm?
Other governments could seek similar concessions, while separate legal action is pending in places ranging from Kenya to the Netherlands
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
When social media companies moderate content effectively they say its thanks to AI. When something goes wrong they say it's because of errors made by human content moderators. Social media won't be safe until platform work is safe. Great to speak to @lbc.co.uk. www.lbc.co.uk/article/pere...
lnkd.in
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
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Reposted by Martha Dark
TRASHFUTURE @trashfuture.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
This week on Trashfuture, we're talking about the campaign to block Palantir from working with the NHS... but we also make time to discuss a man so dedicated to anime that he's accused of terrorism.
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
🚨 don't miss @dncampbell.bsky.social on my fave podcast @trashfuture.bsky.social talking about spy tech firm Palantir's role in the NHS. It's SO good and worth a listen. @foxglovelegal.bsky.social (second half) open.spotify.com/episode/0E0Q...
open.spotify.com
Silencing Bronze Age Voices feat. Donald Campell
TRASHFUTURE · Episode
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
In June Foxglove’s FOI, covered by the FT www.ft.com/content/a3e9... revealed all wasn't as it seemed with Palantir's and the NHS's stats about the performance of Palantir's Federated Data Platform. - Full FOI www.foxglove.org.uk/wp-content/u... - Blog summary www.foxglove.org.uk/2026/06/17/n...
foxglove.org.uk
How we revealed NHS England claims about Palantir's FDP delivering benefit for the NHS are dubious, cherry-picked and should come with a serious health warning
NHS England cannot, and should not, say the data they have made available proves hospitals delivered more operations because of Palantir.
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Great story in the @financialtimes.com last week on data centre development in London featuring @foxglovelegal.bsky.social's @dncampbell.bsky.social. www.ft.com/content/67db...
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Foxglove Legal @foxglovelegal.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Foxglove has investigated & highlighted misleading claims made by the UK Govt in support of Palantir's NHS platform. We - & others - raised these with the UK stats watchdog, who today said that figures about the platform must be "clear" and "accurate." osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/news/nhs-eng...
osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk
NHS England Federated Data Platform (FDP) – presentation and communication of information and performance metrics
In recent weeks, the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) has been contacted by several members of the public and journalists regarding NHS England’s presentation and communication of information an...
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Foxglove Legal @foxglovelegal.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
"tech campaign group Foxglove, said the 'damning report' made it clear that the government and Palantir needed to 'withdraw these dodgy marketing claims and correct the record'. (1/2)
ft.com
NHS England adds caveat to pro-Palantir data after watchdog probe
Regulator urges health service to ensure communications about benefits are ‘clearly and appropriately labelled’
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Tim Picton @timpicton.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
In all honestly, I think the tenacious work of orgs like @foxglovelegal.bsky.social, @goodlawproject.org and investigative journalists (too many to name here, but you know who you are) in unravelling this huge scandal has been massively undervalued and overlooked...
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
www.reuters.com/business/ene... The Cape Town Planning Tribunal approved Equinix's proposals to develop two huge data centres despite @foxglovelegal.bsky.social and Housing Assembly's objections over the project's water use, electricity demand and environmental ‌impact. More on this from us v soon 👀
reuters.com
South Africa tribunal approves Equinix data centres despite activist objections
Municipal authorities in South Africa's Cape Town have approved Equinix's proposal to develop two data centres in the city, despite objections from ​activist groups over the project's water use, elect...
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
The NHS failed to disclose that Palantir staff could access identifiable patient information in the Federated Data Platform. Something we've been told for YEARS would not / could not happen. More here: www.ft.com/content/e793...
ft.com
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
It was great to speak to Open Society Foundations about @foxglovelegal.bsky.social & partners' work challenging Google's theft of news. www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/googl...
opensocietyfoundations.org
Publishers Won the Right to Say No to Google’s AI. Here’s What It Means.
Following a legal complaint by a coalition including tech justice group Foxglove, an Open Society Foundations grantee, the UK government issued a landmark ruling that puts important new limits on Goog...
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
@foxglovelegal.bsky.social is hiring! 🚨 1. Co-executive director (maternity cover) jobs.theguardian.com/job/10151645... 2. Digital campaigner jobs.theguardian.com/job/10148397... Please share far and wide! Thank you.
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Our friends at Housing Assembly outside the Cape Town Planning Tribunal today protesting the data centre proposals we are objecting to. Featuring @foxglovelegal.bsky.social's Daniel Hartford. www.youtube.com/shorts/DgcjH...
youtube.com
Cape Town approves mega data centre development despite activist fears over water and power | News24
YouTube video by News24
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Are you a an amazing campaigner interested in taking on Big Tech? If so @foxglovelegal.bsky.social would love to hear from you. All the info & how to apply below. Pls share! Job 🚨 www.foxglove.org.uk/news/jobs/di...
foxglove.org.uk
Digital Campaigner  - Foxglove
Contract type    12-month fixed term, full-time (with probation period)*we will consider applicants looking for a 4 day per week role.  …
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Over 16,000 people have signed @foxglovelegal.bsky.social's @38degrees.bsky.social petition calling on the Home Office to stop using experimental AI on asylum seeking children. Please join us & share! you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/st...
you.38degrees.org.uk
Don’t use dodgy AI on vulnerable kids!
The Home Office wants to use faulty AI tech that assesses 14 year olds as adults in the asylum system. It’s super harmful, and could deny vulnerable kids their basic rights. Sign the petition to scrap...
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
@foxglovelegal.bsky.social & Housing Assembly represented by Legal Resources Centre are before the Cape Town Municipal Planning Tribunal this morning. More on the case here lnkd.in/ep4V97tm The Tribunal is hearing our objections to the construction of a new 160 MVA hyperscale data centre.
lnkd.in
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
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Reposted by Martha Dark
Foxglove Legal @foxglovelegal.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
ICYMI: Watch Foxglove's @marthadark.bsky.social explain how Palantir dug their way into the UK's health service - and why they shouldn't be there at all:
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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
the FT has made a video about Palantir: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ5X...
youtube.com
Palantir: profits, procurement and power | FT Film
YouTube video by Financial Times
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
A second government committee (Health and Social Care Committee) is now calling on gov to exercise the break clause on the NHS Federated Data Platform contract with spy-tech firm Palantir. committees.parliament.uk/publications...
committees.parliament.uk
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
It was great to speak to the FT about Palantir and why they should have no role in our NHS. Thank you @financialtimes.com and @dangarrahan.bsky.social for having me. @foxglovelegal.bsky.social has been fighting to keep Palantir out of the NHS since 2019 & will continue to do so with our partners.
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Looking forward to joining this panel this morning. Come and say hi 👋 if you’re there!
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Thanks to all who joined our London Climate Action Week event in Victoria yesterday: Data Centres: Powering AI or costing the earth? @foxglovelegal.bsky.social was joined by economists, lawyers & activists working to ensure data centre development doesn't come at huge cost to communities & planet.
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Amazing work from @tmsqrll.bsky.social @dncampbell.bsky.social & team @foxglovelegal.bsky.social this week. The NHS says its web page about the benefits of Palantir's NHS kit.. doesn't actually prove any benefits have been delivered to the NHS. Thank god £380mill of taxpayer money was spent on it...
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Foxglove Legal @foxglovelegal.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Headline:
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Media Reform Coalition @mediareformuk.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
MDF PANEL: 'MAKE BIG TECH WORK FOR US' Join to hear successful strategies for taking power back from Big Tech! Chair: Thomas Barlow - IMA Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social - Foxglove Debs Grayson - Media Commons James Schneider - @progintl.bsky.social Tom Stoneham - @pulltheplug-ai.bsky.social
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Dr Abeba Birhane @abeba.blacksky.app · 18/06/2026
"an audit by Lighthouse Reports of public data on the government’s chosen AI provider shows that its tech misclassified more than a third of 16-year-olds as adults and, in some tests, was shown to give the wrong assessment in 70 per cent of cases" www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
independent.co.uk
Home Office knew AI age checks for migrants were flawed — but rolled it out anyway
Exclusive: Government advisors describe the tool as ‘hideously flawed’ amid concern facial age estimation has ‘baked-in racial bias’ — and can wrongly identify a 14-year-old as an adult
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Only about 10 tickets left for our London Climate Week event next week on data centres! Sign up now if you're planning to come. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/data-centr... @globalactionplan.bsky.social @meadwaj.bsky.social
eventbrite.co.uk
Data Centres: Powering AI or costing the earth?
The AI power grab nobody voted for — Big Tech is cashing in. Communities and the climate are picking up the bill. Time to fight back.
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
NEW: @foxglovelegal.bsky.social, Human Rights Watch & 60+ organisations have sent an open letter to the Home Office calling on them to halt plans to use racist and faulty AI facial age estimation tech on asylum-seeking children. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home... www.wired.com/story/facial...
wired.com
The UK Will Scan Asylum-Seekers’ Faces for Age Checks—Despite Knowing the Tech Is Flawed
Internal Home Office tests of age-verification technology show the risks of life-altering errors. It’s moving forward anyway.
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Max Colbert @mc00.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
'France's domestic intelligence service is ending its contract with U.S. surveillance technology giant Palantir, it said on Tuesday morning' www.politico.eu/article/fren...
politico.eu
French spy service drops Palantir
Europe is seeking to wean off U.S. tech for sensitive services.
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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 16/06/2026
what a chart!
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Tim Squirrell @tmsqrll.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Our investigation at @foxglovelegal.bsky.social found that nearly a third of NHS hospitals have delivered *fewer* operations since adopting Palantir’s Federated Data Platform, indicating its claimed benefits should come with a serious health warning. Exclusive in the FT. www.ft.com/content/a3e9...
ft.com
Palantir NHS claims rely on just a few hospitals
Data shows some trusts have delivered fewer operations since adopting the US company’s technology
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
🚨 Are you at London Climate Week? Join @foxglovelegal.bsky.social @globalactionplan.bsky.social, Housing Assembly Legal Resource Centre, @meadwaj.bsky.social & at our event: Data centres: powering AI or costing the earth? Limited tickets availably sign up here. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/data-centr...
eventbrite.co.uk
Data Centres: Powering AI or costing the earth?
The AI power grab nobody voted for — Big Tech is cashing in. Communities and the climate are picking up the bill. Time to fight back.
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
NEW: @foxglovelegal.bsky.social's investigation into the effectiveness of Palantir's kit for the NHS has been published in the @financialtimes.com today! www.ft.com/content/a3e9...
ft.com
Palantir NHS claims rely on just a few hospitals
Data shows some trusts have delivered fewer operations since adopting the US company’s technology
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Foxglove Legal @foxglovelegal.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
NEW: one third of NHS trusts using the Federated Data Platform tools are seeing fewer operations than before they started using Palantir's kit. With the FT, we've been digging into the lack of evidence behind the lofty claims about FDP's benefit to hospitals. More here: www.ft.com/content/a3e9...
ft.com
Palantir NHS claims rely on just a few hospitals
Data shows some trusts have delivered fewer operations since adopting the US company’s technology
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Martha Dark @marthadark.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Looking forward to joining this panel to talk about Google’s AI in search, the impact on independent news and the CMA’s recent landmark decision in a couple of weeks.
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