Trump Admin Taps Palantir for Mass Surveillance on Americans
The Trump administration has dramatically ramped up its collaboration with data analytics giant Palantir Technologies, triggering a wave of privacy concerns over possible government overreach. Since President Trump returned to office in January, Palantir has secured more than $113 million in federal contracts — with a staggering $795 million Department of Defense contract awarded just last week, according to public records. At the heart of the controversy is Palantir’s Foundry platform, which is now being used by at least four major federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Health and Human Services (HHS), to integrate and analyze citizen data. Sources told The New York Times that Palantir is also in talks with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). The rapid expansion follows a March executive order signed by Trump that mandates inter-agency data sharing — a move critics say could lead to the creation of a comprehensive database of Americans’ personal information. “Combining all that data, even with the noblest of intentions, significantly increases the risk of misuse,” said Linda Xia, a former Palantir engineer who, along with 12 others, signed a letter opposing the company’s government work. Founded in 2003 with early funding from the CIA, Palantir has long worked with the U.S. government. But the new contracts — including a $30 million deal with ICE to track migrants in real time — have renewed fears of mass surveillance and politicized data use. Palantir declined to comment on the specifics, referring instead to a blog post asserting that the company is merely a “data processor, not a data controller.” Trump officials insist the effort is about efficiency. “We’re eliminating data silos and saving taxpayer dollars,” a White House representative stated, referencing the executive order. Still, digital rights groups warn of a looming “crisis of trust.” Mario Trujillo of the Electronic Frontier Foundation noted: “If people can’t trust how their data is used, the entire system breaks down.” Palantir’s stock, meanwhile, has surged over 140% since Trump’s election win.
If you value our journalism…
TMJ News is committed to remaining an independent, reader-funded news platform. A small donation from our valuable readers like you keeps us running so that we can keep our reporting open to all! We’ve launched a fundraising campaign to raise the $10,000 we need to meet our publishing costs this year, and it’d mean the world to us if you’d make a monthly or one-time donation to help. If you value what we publish and agree that our world needs alternative voices like ours in the media, please give what you can today.
Author
Related
Juneteenth Celebrations Across The US Commemorate The End Of Slavery
Across the United States, Juneteenth was commemorated on Thursday with powerful tributes, community events, and…
‘Not Our War’: Bipartisan Lawmakers Back Resolution to Block US Involvement in Iran
In the wake of Israel’s aggression on Iran, a rare bipartisan coalition in Congress is…
Minnesota Lawmaker Shooting Suspect Faces Court After Deadly Attack Deemed ‘Political Assassination’
The suspect in a shocking mass shooting that killed a Minnesota state representative and her…
