ChapsVision says ethics panel can veto deals deemed risky

By Leo Marchandon

PARIS, June 18 (Reuters) - French software group ChapsVision said on Thursday its independent ethics committee can block contracts where its software could be misused, underscoring how oversight has become central as Europe seeks local alternatives to U.S. data analytics providers.

ChapsVision President Silvano Sansoni told Reuters at VivaTech that the panel can stop work on any project, with reviews based on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development transparency indicators, the United Nations Charter and European rules.

"They have a right of veto," Sansoni said, referring to the ethics committee. "They can tell me: 'No, Silvano, you are not allowed to go there,'" if a country or project raises concerns. The committee can also halt ongoing contracts if the scope or clients' requests change, Sansoni added.

The oversight carries weight because ChapsVision sells tools that process sensitive data for governments and companies, where questions over privacy, civil liberties and accountability are acute.

ChapsVision is pitching ArgonOS as a European platform for intelligence and decision-making.

The company has positioned itself as an alternative to U.S.-based Palantir Technologies, which has faced criticism from rights groups and activists over work in areas including immigration, health and security, raising concerns about surveillance, use of personal data and reliance on a politically divisive contractor.

In Britain, the government is reviewing Palantir's National Health Service contract under pressure to use a break clause in early 2027.

ChapsVision has won government contracts in France and Germany. Sansoni said a French government project awarded in 2024 was already operating before the wider platform announcement. Deployment is set to take 18 to 24 months across several ministries handling sensitive data, while France's two-year renewal with Palantir serves as a transition.

"The ambition is global," the company said. ChapsVision said it mainly works with France's intelligence agency under the contract, while the armed forces are eligible but ArgonOS has not yet been deployed there.

Sansoni said the company keeps a confidential list of countries that must be referred to the committee, while some cases involving OECD countries can also be escalated if the intended use raises risks.

The ethics committee, chaired by Jean-David Levitte, a former French ambassador to the U.S. and the U.N., includes members such as Francis Delon, a former senior national security official, and Claude Revel, a veteran of French government economic intelligence. Former Spanish foreign minister Ana Palacio is slated to join the panel this summer, Sansoni said.

(Reporting by Leo Marchandon; Editing by Matt Scuffham)