Palantir, the Peter Thiel-founded Californian data mining company, is in talks with the UK government to provide a contact tracing system, reports the FT.

The UK has had problems with a track and trace app which didn’t work and a contracing system which is failing to contact 60% of those needed to be contacted.

Both initiatives were headed up by Baroness Dido Harding who was appointed by the government without any competition for the job , who had no experience in public health administration and who had no technology qualification.

Palantir  IPO’d in September gaining a valuation of $16 billion.

It is said to already provide services to the NHS and provides contact tracing services to Colombia.