Digital sovereignty: Germany chooses French software for intelligence as the NHS case erupts in London

Germany has chosen a French platform, ArgonOS by ChapsVision, as an alternative to Palantir for federal intelligence (BfV), while in the United Kingdom the NHS case has erupted after the Financial Times revealed “unlimited access” to identifiable patient data granted to external contractors, including Palantir.

Two events that signal a shift in the European digital‑security market: digital sovereignty is becoming a decisive criterion, with public institutions and sensitive sectors (intelligence and healthcare) increasingly preferring European solutions compliant with the EU regulatory framework over US‑based providers.

Digital sovereignty and the European market

Digital sovereignty is becoming an increasingly important factor in the technological choices of European institutions and companies. Today, what matters is not only what a platform does, but also where it is built, how it manages data, and which regulatory framework it operates under.

In a context marked by growing attention to security, compliance and process control, the European market is increasingly rewarding solutions developed in line with the continent’s rules and needs, especially in highly sensitive sectors where reliability and governance are decisive.

Innovation does not only mean introducing new features, but building transparent, secure and coherent technologies: European tech is gaining ground not only for the quality of its solutions, but also for its ability to respond to the market’s new priorities.

Berlin and the no to Palantir

The Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV), Germany’s domestic intelligence service, has adopted a data‑analysis solution developed by the French company ChapsVision, choosing it as an alternative to the products of the US‑based Palantir. It is the first known German federal agency to opt for a European alternative to the American data‑analysis provider.

The decision was reported by Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR and WDR, though it has not yet been officially confirmed by either the BfV or ChapsVision. Both parties declined to comment. Information from the BfV indicates that the proof‑of‑concept phase has been successfully completed. However, it is still unclear which data the software will be allowed to access and to what extent.

ArgonOS: the French platform

The selected platform is ArgonOS, which uses artificial intelligence to aggregate and cross‑reference data from diverse sources: internal databases and open‑source intelligence (OSINT). ChapsVision presents ArgonOS as a tool for analysing large datasets with AI, linking information across databases and conducting intelligence research on open sources.

The software is already used by several French authorities, including the DGSI (Direction générale de la sécurité intérieure), France’s domestic intelligence service. In Germany, ChapsVision collaborates with rola Security Solutions to market its tools to security agencies.

Why Germany wants to reduce dependence on the US

German security authorities have expressed a desire to become more independent from the United States. This goal fits into a broader focus on digital sovereignty and reducing reliance on US‑based technological platforms in the most sensitive sectors.

As early as December 2025, BfV president Sinan Selen stated that the agency intended to invest in European alternatives to Palantir. The choice of ChapsVision therefore represents the concrete implementation of a previously announced strategic direction.

Use of the software: limitations and operational scope

ChapsVision’s software can analyse large volumes of data using artificial intelligence. According to available information, the BfV intends to use ArgonOS to process structured and unstructured data, preparing them for human analysts.

However, the use of the software remains within a strictly limitedlegal framework. At present, the Verfassungsschutz is not even authorised to use commercial software for facial recognition, for example.

The BfV is the first German federal security agency to officially choose a European alternative to Palantir — but it may not be the last. The Bundeswehr (German armed forces) has already excluded Palantir from the upcoming federal defence cloud project (pCloudBw) and is evaluating three European candidates: Almato (Stuttgart), Orcrist (Berlin) and again ChapsVision (Paris). A contract is expected before the end of the year.

The United Kingdom and the NHS dossier

While Berlin moves to reduce reliance on Palantir, London is facing a scandal that has intensified controversy around the American company. The Financial Times revealed that NHS England had granted Palantir and other external contractors “unlimited access” to identifiable patient data contained in the National Data Integration Tenant (NDIT), the entry point to the Federated Data Platform (FDP), the national database of the UK healthcare system.

The £330 million NHS–Palantir contract

The contract with Palantir, worth £330 million (almost €380 million), was signed for the management of health data belonging to millions of British patients. Public dissent — from citizens, organisations (such as Amnesty International UK) and healthcare groups — has resulted in more than 200,000 signatures on petitions calling on the government to cut ties with the company.

Access to identifiable data: risks for the NHS

What drew attention was a change in the project’s original architecture. Initially, the distinction between identifiable and pseudonymised data was a key principle: Palantir and other contractors would not have been able to access the identities of the individuals whose clinical information they processed. The newly granted “unlimited access” suggests an unexpected development that, according to many observers, may violate the Data Protection Act 2018, the UK’s data‑protection law.

Several risks have been raised. According to the British health‑justice organisation Medact, the platform is highly proprietary and does not provide guarantees regarding opt‑out mechanisms. Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat MP Martin Wrigley expressed concern in Parliament about potential technological lock‑in: “The current contract provides a subscription service that leaves no deliverable after the subscription ends: no software, no improvements and no intellectual property.” The danger, Wrigley argues, is that the health service may become dependent on a subscription‑based solution without gaining ownership of the software.

Jeremy Corbyn (former Labour leader) and Amnesty International UK have condemned the situation, calling it a serious threat to the right to privacy. The new Health Secretary James Murray thus inherits a deeply unpopular dossier. However, the UK Department of Health has responded by emphasising that all data access is subject to verification systems, security controls and formal authorisations, and that data governance remains under public control and compliant with current regulations.

Why these decisions matter

The BfV’s choice is not an isolated episode: it signals a potential reduction of Palantir’s role in Europe’s most sensitive sectors and confirms a clear strategic direction. For Berlin, the goal is to reduce dependence on US technological platforms where data is most critical and national‑security implications are greatest.

The NHS case shows that the issue is not limited to Germany. When the most demanding sectors — state intelligence or public healthcare — change providers for reasons of digital sovereignty, the message to the rest of the market is hard to ignore.

The European digital‑security market therefore appears to be entering a phase of redefinition. The ability to offer sovereign solutions, compliant with the European regulatory framework and manageable within the continent’s borders, may become a decisive competitive factor — not only for public institutions but for any organisation handling sensitive data.

What this means for the European market

If even German intelligence relies on software developed in France, the signal to the European market is unmistakable: European tech is becoming more attentive to these aspects. It is not just about technical performance. It is about digital sovereignty, data control and strategic independence. And if German intelligence — the most demanding, critical and scrutinised sector — chooses European software, it means European tech is now mature enough for ultra‑critical environments.

The position of the parties

The BfV has stated only that it regularly monitors the market and will not comment publicly on concrete intelligence activities. ChapsVision, led by French tech entrepreneur Olivier Dellenbach, chose not to comment when contacted.

In the NHS case, the UK government has confirmed that Palantir’s position does not appear to be under review in Westminster, despite criticism and petitions. The “fortress of secrecy” surrounding government briefings on the agreement has been reported by several British outlets, fuelling calls for greater transparency to understand whose hands citizens’ data will ultimately fall into.

Sources:

• Linkiesta, Gabriele Carrer, “La scelta di BerlinoLa Germania, il no a Palantir e il confine invisibile della sovranità digitale” (16 May 2026) https://www.linkiesta.it/2026/05/germania-palantir-intelligence-bfv/

• Wired, “Esplode il caso Palantir, accesso illimitato alle identità dei pazienti britannici mentre il ministero della Salute cambia guida” (18 May 2026) https://www.wired.it/article/caso-palantir-identita-pazienti-britannici-cambia-ministero-salute/

• Italia informa, Marta Giannoni, “Palantir, Berlino dice no: Londra trema sui pazienti” (18 May 2026) https://italia-informa.com/palantir-berlino-londra-pazienti-nhs.aspx

• Cybersecurity Italia, Lorenzo Proietti, “Intelligence, la Germania sceglie l’AI francese e dice no a Palantir” (18 May 2026) https://www.cybersecitalia.it/intelligence-la-germania-sceglie-lai-francese-e-dice-no-a-palantir/64369/

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