UK school app linked to Jeffrey Epstein

16/02/2026

Dear Sir/Madam.

 Safeguarding and Ethical Concerns Regarding the Use of Cashless Payment Systems in Swansea Schools
I am writing to express my deep concerns about Swansea Council’s implementation of a cashless payment system for school meals and related services, which I believe indoctrinates young people into relying on digital payments for subsistence. As a resident with strong Christian values, I view this as an ethical, data protection, and safeguarding issue, particularly given the links between the systems and unethical companies whose investors and founders have been associated with extreme cases of child sexual exploitation, as well as complicity in alleged genocide in Gaza.
The cashless system, operated through providers such as iPayimpact from CRB Cunninghams, uses Microsoft Azure for hosting the application, databases, and automated functions. Microsoft Azure also has a strategic partnership with Palantir Technologies, enabling faster deployments of Palantir’s platforms (such as Foundry) through the Azure Marketplace, and extending to secure government and classified cloud environments for AI and analytics capabilities.
These companies are compromised by investors and founders linked to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. For instance, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates met with Epstein multiple times between 2011 and 2014, including dinners and discussions on philanthropy, as revealed in emails and documents from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Epstein files. Former Microsoft executive Nathan Myhrvold had a yearslong relationship with Epstein from at least 1996 through 2018, involving frequent emails and meetings. On the Palantir side, co-founder Peter Thiel is named extensively in the Epstein files, with records showing multiple meetings between 2014 and 2017 and Epstein investing $40 million in Thiel’s funds around 2005, which helped seed Palantir. Witness accounts and court documents have further exposed Epstein’s network, raising serious ethical questions about associated companies and their ecosystems.
Furthermore, Palantir Technologies has faced allegations of complicity in Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which some sources and reports describe as genocide. Palantir has expanded its partnership with the Israeli Defense Ministry, providing advanced data analytics and AI tools that critics claim enable targeting systems and contribute to civilian harm. UN reports and investigations have named Palantir among companies potentially aiding in violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Microsoft has also been accused in similar contexts of providing cloud services that support surveillance and operations linked to these actions.
Compelling schools to use such technology poses a safeguarding risk to children, as it normalizes reliance on systems potentially profiting entities with these controversial connections. This could expose young people to data vulnerabilities and indirectly support unethical practices, which conflict with my religious beliefs prohibiting involvement in or support for exploitation or grave human rights abuses. Under the Human Rights Act 1998 (Article 9), I have the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, and should not be forced to participate in activities that violate these principles.
Furthermore, the Equality Act 2010 protects against discrimination based on religion or belief (Section 10), and the council has a duty to make reasonable adjustments (Section 20) for those with sincerely held convictions. Forcing the use of these systems without alternatives discriminates against individuals like myself who object on faith grounds.
I urge the Education Department to:
1. Immediately cease mandating cashless systems and reinstate cash options to address safeguarding and ethical concerns;
2. Conduct a full review of the payment providers’ technology stacks—including Microsoft Azure and any Palantir integrations—and any potential links to companies with exploitation scandals or alleged complicity in grave international violations;
3. Provide exemptions for families objecting on religious or ethical grounds; and
4. Respond in writing confirming how the council will uphold the Human Rights Act and Equality Act in this matter.
I am willing to discuss this further or provide more details on my beliefs. I look forward to your urgent response.

Yours faithfully,
Katon Bouzalakos