Palantir technologies. Its elusive name masks the pervasive involvement it now has in governance, both at home and abroad.

A company that now processes large amounts of data across multiple jurisdictions–being used for surveillance, immigration, and military efforts.

Founded in 2003, the analytical tech company was originally used for counter-terrorism efforts.1 Today, the silicon-valley startup finds itself involved in a myriad of industries. The data processing technology grasps everything from the U.S. marines, to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, and Wendy’s…? (2,3,4)

But don’t let such a relationship lull you into believing Palantir is a docile actor. To the contrary, its systems are currently being used to perpetuate brutality against historically marginalized groups, whilst remaining cloaked in secrecy.

Headed by their brazen CEO, Alex Karp, the company remains unapologetic in its often brutal pursuits. The charismatic Karp champions Western prosperity–lavishing in being a bastion of the United States. He loves the idea of aligning his business’ mission with American corporate values, amongst which he includes the ability to “resolve difficult issues where no one ends up injured, dead, or an outcast [within a team]”. (5) An ironic statement once you consider the lack of diplomacy in the company’s immigration work. As expected, eyes on the ground unabashedly betray what Palantir claims to uphold in terms of civil liberties.

In April of 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) gave Palantir $30 million to create a product used to monitor immigration, known as “ImmigrationOS”. (6) They had already worked closely with ICE before–when they paid Palantir $41 million for their work relating to the Investigative Case Management system (ICM). (7)

The technical specs of ImmigrationOS allow for advanced tracking capabilities. The database includes information such as visa overstays, and deportation targets. (6) And rather shockingly, this product allows for “near real-time visibility” of people self-deporting.6 The extensive nature of the technology has implicated Palantir in locating individuals marked for deportation on the ground. (8)

The software puts forth a dystopian model of immigration surveillance—not unlike Palantir’s previous domestic work with the LAPD. Although some may claim that the computerized approach of target identification creates a more objective process, the reality is that it only reinforces the existing biases. (9)

An example of this can be found in the LAPD’s two step identification process for their LASER operation. LASER, the Los Angeles’ Strategic Extraction and Restoration program, created bulletins that marked individuals that are deemed to be the most dangerous in a given area. To do so, a process incorporating subjectivity was employed. In the first step, an analyst personally determines whether or not records on hand justify moving this individual to the next phase. If they are unfortunate enough to be selected, a criminality rating is generated from curated information using Palantir software. (9) The initial human aspect in the process allows for potential racial profiling to be incorporated into this so-called “objective” procedure. If the bias policing exists when solely human measures are taken, how then would it disappear if the bias of analysts persists in this equation? Even on the algorithmic side, bias is infused into the operation, where socioeconomic background, education, and zip code are used as racial proxies. (10)

Palantir’s undignified militaristic qualities also make it a likely partner for another merciless organization, the IDF. Israel’s war on Gaza has ravaged the small 363 square kilometer strip, leaving above 60,000 Palestinians dead since October 7th, 2023. (11,12) Israel’s attacks have garnered unprecedented levels of international attention, exposing their unethical practices to the global public. To Palantir, Israel is a prime associate to exhibit their zeal for western “democratic” values with. And indeed, Palantir has treated Gaza as a testing ground for weapons technologies. (13)

AI targeting technology has allowed for a ruthless efficiency in mass targeted killings in the Gaza strip. Software, the likes of which is provided by Palantir, imparts deadly accuracy. In an earlier example from the war, the IDF targeted World Central Kitchen vehicles, hitting bulls-eyes on the logos of each of the three vehicles, and killing the aid workers within them. Of course Israel, as eternally uncondemnable as it is, claimed such an incident was an accident. (14)

To train AI systems, Israel’s perverted involvement in the lives of Palestinians is also harnessed. According to a US National Security Agency whistleblower, communications between Palestinians in the US and their relatives in Palestine are used to train AI responsible for making deadly decisions. They execute with breakneck turnaround–with the time from recognition to death taking only 2-3 minutes, whereas traditionally it had been closer to 6 hours. (14)

Ever conniving as Israel is, they also use personal data on Palestinians–including relative’s medical situations–to coerce individuals to defect, or sow division within society. (14) Indeed, Israel is never too far from its roots. These actions are an eerie callback to Israeli intelligence’s steps in the leadup to 1948, where they had taken detailed records of Palestinian villages, even with details as minute as the qualities of individual trees on village land. (15)

From a more general scope, what further mars Palantir’s image as an upholder of civil rights is its lack of transparency. (17) As a company that is valued at more than both Verizon and Disney (16), Palantir’s operations are remarkably hidden. Despite having secured a minimum of $1.2 Billion in federal contracts since 2009 (18), Palantir continues to evade discussing its clientele. (19) For a company deeply ingrained in so many aspects, from pandemic monitoring20 to general surveillance, it is concerning how opaque they have remained. Such lack of transparency prevents important oversight on company activity, enabling them to remain unchecked. As a result, Palantir may be able to pass off more ethically inappropriate actions without consequence.

So it goes without saying that Palantir Technologies is a culprit. Not only do they fuel the anti-immigration frenzy, but they also manage to perpetuate racist policing standards against American nationals, and power the Israeli ethnic cleansing machine, all whilst dodging accountability. As such, taking action becomes increasingly important to steer our country, and the world, away from corporate authoritarian control.

The first step would be to remove ourselves from the state of complete ignorance. Not having even a shred of an idea of how Palantir Technologies interacts with our data and surveils our country allows them to remain outside of public criticism. How many people lead their daily lives unaware that surveillance of this level is present within their country? Not to mention the devastating effects the same company is having overseas.

But beyond that initial step-off point, we recommend contacting your representatives. Demand that the details of surveillance contracts be made public. Inquire into the role of Palantir in policing and immigration. Through the File Freedom of Information Act, you can request surveillance technology contracts in your municipality. 

Likewise, exert your influence locally as police technology contracts are presented in council meetings. Containing the issue on your own soil may very well be possible with some initiative.

S.A
Political Analyst
Kufi Productions

Sources:

1. Canvas business model, Basic Palantir founding information: https://canvasbusinessmodel.com/blogs/brief-history/palantir-technologies-brief-history
2. Military, Marines involvement: https://www.military.com/defensetech/2013/07/01/special-forces-marines-embrace-palantir-software
3. Palantir, CDC involvement: https://www.military.com/defensetech/2013/07/01/special-forces-marines-embrace-palantir-software
4. More Perfect Union, Wendy’s:
5. CNBC, Interview CEO Alex Karp: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2019/01/23/watch-cnbcs-full-interview-with-palantir-ceo-alex-karp.html
6. Wired, $30M ICE contract: https://www.wired.com/story/ice-palantir-immigrationos/
7. The Intercept, ICM contract: https://theintercept.com/2017/03/02/palantir-provides-the-engine-for-donald-trumps-deportation-machine/
8. Vice, Palantir admits helping ICE deport: https://www.vice.com/en/article/palantirs-ceo-finally-admits-to-helping-ice-deport-undocumented-immigrants/
9. The Intercept, LAPD Predictive Policing: https://theintercept.com/2018/05/11/predictive-policing-surveillance-los-angeles/
10. MIT Technology Review, Racial algorithmic bias: https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/07/17/1005396/predictive-policing-algorithms-racist-dismantled-machine-learning-bias-criminal-justice/
11. Encyclopedia Britannica, Size of Gaza strip: https://www.britannica.com/place/Gaza-Strip
12. PBS, Palestinian death toll: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/over-60000-palestinians-have-died-in-the-israel-hamas-war-gazas-health-ministry-says
13. The Indian Express, Gaza as a testing ground: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-global/palantir-trump-gaza-10173572/
14. Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, AI applied in Palestine: https://www.business-humanrights.org/es/%C3%BAltimas-noticias/palantir-allegedly-enables-israels-ai-targeting-amid-israels-war-in-gaza-raising-concerns-over-war-crimes/
15. The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, Village surveillance pre-1948: https://oneworld-publications.com/work/the-ethnic-cleansing-of-palestine/
16. NPR, Palantir worth more than Verizon and Disney: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cc0ccEP6m2w 
17. ResearchGate, No transparency: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385290034_Palantir%27s_Predictive_Policing_Technology_A_Case_of_algorithmic_Bias_and_Lack_of_Transparency
18. Politico, $1.2 in contracts: https://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/palantir-defense-contracts-lobbyists-226969
19. SEC, lack of transparency: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1321655/000132165525000059/fy2024palantirarsa.htm
20. TechCrunch, Pandemic Monitoring: https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/01/palantir-coronavirus-cdc-nhs-gotham-foundry/