Tag: palantir

Data Collection Can Be Effective and Legal

MEMORANDUM FOR: The President
FROM: Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS)
SUBJECT: Data Collection Can Be Effective and Legal

Introduction

It’s an Artificial Conundrum

It is not necessary to make an end-run around the U.S. Constitution to thwart terrorism and other crimes.

Those claiming otherwise have been far from candid – especially since June 2013, when Edward Snowden revealed gross violations of the Fourth Amendment by NSA’s bulk electronic collection. U.S. citizens have been widely misled into believing that their Constitutional right to privacy had to yield to a superseding need to combat terrorism.

The choice was presented as an Either-Or conundrum. In what follows, we will show that this is a false choice. Rather, the “choice” can be a Both-And. In sum, all that is needed is to place advanced technology that has been already demonstrated into the hands of officials not driven by lust for a cushy retirement.

Sophisticated collection and processing technology that also protects the right to privacy has been available for decades, enabling highly efficient and discriminating collection. Despite that, top officials have opted for quasi-legal, cumbersome, ineffective – and wildly expensive – technology that has done little more than line the pockets of contractors and “old-friend” retirees.

U.S. officials have been caught lying under oath – with impunity – with false claims about the effectiveness of the intrusive, high price-tag technology they procured and implemented.

In the Annex to this Memo we briefly portray the illustrative behavior of one such senior official. We do so in the belief that a short case study may shed light on the apparent motivation of many senior officials who seem to take far too lightly their oath to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States.

We took the same oath. It has no expiration date.

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Peter Thiel Warns: One-World Government A Greater Threat Than AI Or Climate Change

In a wide-ranging interview on the future and global existential risks, billionaire technology investor Peter Thiel raised alarms not only about familiar threats like nuclear war, climate change, and artificial intelligence but also about what he sees as a more insidious danger: the rise of a one-world totalitarian state. Speaking to the New York Times’ Ross Douthat, Thiel argued that the default political response to global crises—centralized, supranational governance—could plunge humanity into authoritarianism.

Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, shared his worries using examples from dystopian sci-fi stories. “There’s a risk of nuclear war, environmental disaster, bioweapons, and certain types of risks with AI,” Thiel explained to Douthat, suggesting that the push for global governance as a solution to these threats could culminate in a “bad singularity” – a one-world state that stifles freedom under the guise of safety.

Thiel critiqued what he described as a reflexive call for centralized control in times of peril.

“The default political solution people have for all these existential risks is one-world governance,” Thiel observed, pointing to proposals for a strengthened United Nations to control nuclear arsenals or global compute governance to regulate AI development, including measures to “log every single keystroke” to prevent dangerous programming. Such solutions, the investor warned, risk creating a surveillance state that sacrifices individual liberty for security.

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The Algorithm Behind IAEA Iran Nuke Allegations: ‘Minority Report for Uranium’

On May 31, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) disclosed that there were 408.6 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, including 166.6 kg located at the Fordow nuclear site in Iran, issuing a caution regarding a possible “nine-bomb” breakout. According to Reuters, which reviewed the IAEA confidential report, the UN nuclear watchdog concluded that “three locations (Lavisan-Shian, Varamin, and Turquzabad), and other possible related locations, were part of an undeclared structured nuclear programme carried out by Iran until the early 2000s and that some activities used undeclared nuclear material.” This report eventually led to a censure on June 6 (with a vote of 19–3), thereby facilitating Israel’s strike on June 12. A separate IAEA report sent to UNSC member states indicated that Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to around 60% purity has risen by 50% to 408.6 kg, nearing the 90% threshold for weapons-grade material. The IAEA stated this quantity could potentially produce nine nuclear weapons if further enriched.  What wasn’t explained is how the IAEA came to these conclusions with zero evidence to back up their allegations…

On June 12, 2025, Israel initiated “Operation Rising Lion,” aimed at Iran’s Natanz nuclear site and the heavily fortified Fordow bunker, leading to numerous fatalities, among them two IRGC commanders and one nuclear scientist. Prime Minister Netanyahu was quick to characterise Israel’s unprovoked strike as a direct assault on the heart of Iran’s nuclear aspirations. Meanwhile, President Trump, with the backing of CENTCOM’s General Kurilla, cautioned of dire repercussions.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei Hamaneh’s response was immediate, with Tehran strongly criticising the UN nuclear watchdog, accusing its head, Rafael Grossi, of bias and alleging IAEA alignment with Israel amidst Tel Aviv’s aggression on Iran. Hamaneh’s allegations arose following Grossi’s statement, which unfortunately came too late,  that the regulatory body lacked any evidence of a coordinated attempt by Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.

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Palantir Denies Claims It Is Building Master Database

Palantir Technologies is roundly denying claims it’s building a massive, unified database containing Americans’ personal information, following media coverage implying its work for various federal agencies could enable unprecedented surveillance.

On May 30, the New York Times published an article highlighting the potential impact of the more than $900 million worth of federal contracts awarded to the Denver-based technology company since the beginning of the Trump administration.

“We are not building, we have not been asked to build, and we’re not in contract to build any kind of federal master list or master database across different agencies,” Courtney Bowman, the company’s global director of privacy and civil liberties, told The Epoch Times, “Each of those contracts are separate and fulfill specific mandates that are scoped and bound by congressional authorities and other laws.”

In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order designed to limit wasteful spending by “eliminating information silos” among federal agencies. The order mandates that federal agencies must share data with each other. Furthermore, it requires the federal government to have unrestricted access to data from state programs receiving federal funding.

In the days following the report, various media outlets published reports that interpreted Palantir’s work as tantamount to developing a “’master database‘ or ’central intelligence layer’ drawing on Interal Revenue Service, Social Security, immigration and other records,” the Digital Trade & Data Governance Hub at George Washington University said in June.

“Collecting and linking such a vast array of sensitive records could create an unprecedented surveillance infrastructure. … There is a heightened risk of sensitive data being repurposed for uses beyond its original intent, or being used for political purposes,” a team led by Michael Moreno, a research associate at the Hub said.

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Executives from Meta, Palantir, OpenAI Join Army Innovation Corps Dubbed ‘Detachment 201’

Top executives from Silicon Valley giants Palantir, Meta, and OpenAI are trading their corporate suits for military uniforms as they join a newly formed Army Reserve unit focused on upgrading military technology.

The Wall Street Journal reports that in an unprecedented collaboration between the U.S. military and the tech industry, a group of Silicon Valley executives are set to be sworn in as officers in the Army Reserve on Friday. The inaugural cohort of this new innovation corps, dubbed Detachment 201, includes Shyam Sankar, CTO of Palantir; Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, CTO of Meta Platforms; Kevin Weil, Chief Product Officer at OpenAI; and Bob McGrew, a former OpenAI executive.

The tech recruits will serve around 120 hours a year, focusing on projects that leverage their expertise in AI, data analysis, and other cutting-edge technologies to enhance the Army’s capabilities. Their mission is to help the military prepare for future conflicts, which are expected to heavily rely on ground robots, drones, sensor networks, and AI-powered coordination systems.

Gen. Randy George, the Army’s chief of staff, emphasized the importance of this collaboration, stating, “We need to go faster, and that’s exactly what we are doing here.” The program marks a significant shift in the relationship between the Pentagon and the tech industry, which was once hesitant to work on defense-related projects.

The tech reservists will enjoy some unique accommodations, such as the flexibility to work remotely and asynchronously, and will be exempt from basic training. They will hold the rank of lieutenant colonel due to their private-sector status and will be deployed based on their specialized skills, making it unlikely for them to find themselves in combat situations.

Instead, the executives will work on projects that teach soldiers how to use AI-powered systems or utilize health data to improve fitness. They will also advise the service on acquiring more commercial technology and help the Defense Department recruit other high-tech talent. To avoid conflicts of interest, the recruits will not work on projects involving their employers and will be firewalled from sharing information or participating in projects that could provide financial gain to themselves or their companies.

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71st Bilderberg Meeting Agenda and Attendees REVEALED

The clandestine Bilderberg Group’s 71st annual meeting kicks off on Thursday, where 120-140 heads of state, industry, media, finance and technology will convene to plot global policy behind closed doors.

Bilderberg’s 2025 confab will be held June 12-15 in Stockholm, Sweden, at the Grand Hotel.

While the organization on its face appears powerless, the secretive group – whose discussions are held under Chatham House rules – has been accused of steering world events, including the creation of the European Union and its euro single currency. It’s even rumored to have helped install heads of state like former US Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, all of whom reportedly attended Bilderberg prior to their rise.

Other attendees have included top media figures from outlets like The New York Times, Politico, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Economist, The Guardian and more, making it all the more bizarre that the convention receives little to no press coverage each year.

Via The Nordic Times:

The public denied for a long time that the meeting was organized, or even existed, and was dismissed in the mainstream media for many years as a “conspiracy theory”. In the 21st century, as a result of independent media coverage, it has since been recognized that the meeting has actually been taking place since 1954, with high-profile lists of participants typically ranging from 120-150 specially invited participants.

Check out the full list of attendees and key discussion topics below, via BilderbergMeetings.org. This year’s conference includes such key figures as Palantir’s Alex Karp, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, CNN’s Fareked Zakaria, and Economist editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes, to name a few.

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ICE advances sole source deal with Palantir for new surveillance backbone

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is preparing to move forward with a sole-source contract to Palantir Technologies for the development of the next generation of its Investigative Case Management (ICM) system, which includes biometrics for migrant identification.

The ICM is essential to ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), where it serves as the primary software environment for managing case files, exchanging intelligence, tracking investigative data across multiple agencies, and tracking people. It is intertwined with ICE’s controversial Immigration Lifecycle Operating System, ImmigrationOS, which was also developed by Palantir, much to the consternation of privacy and civil rights advocates. Palantir was co-founded by Trump supporter and Elon Musk pal Peter Thiel.

Designed to serve as the backbone of HSI’s investigative operations, ICM allows agents and analysts to create, track, and manage criminal investigations across a broad range of activities, including human trafficking, transnational crime, cybercrime, narcotics, financial offenses, and immigration violations.

ICM facilitates the documentation and organization of investigative case files, evidence, intelligence reports, and inter-agency communications, and supports advanced data analytics, link analysis, and cross-referencing of individuals, entities, locations, and events. Critically, ICM also integrates with other federal law enforcement systems, providing a shared investigative ecosystem where information can be securely accessed and disseminated across agencies in real time.

ICE describes ICM as a core operational tool that enhances decision-making, helps deconflict investigations, and enables collaboration within and beyond DHS. It is also used to generate and manage legal documents, manage leads and tips, and ensure proper chain-of-custody and evidentiary protocols for prosecutions.

ICE’s decision to pursue Palantir as its exclusive vendor was revealed in its “sources sought” notice released by ICE’s Office of Acquisition Management in collaboration with the Information Technology Division (ITD) and HSI. The notice, which invites feedback from industry stakeholders through June 20, emphasizes that ICE has already determined that Palantir is uniquely positioned to meet the agency’s technical, operational, and security needs.

This move follows several years of procurement planning and vendor evaluation, including an industry day held in June 2023 and a formal Request for Information in July 2024. More than fifty responses were received, and multiple commercial-off-the-shelf technology demonstrations were conducted. Despite the variety of participants, ICE ultimately concluded that only Palantir could meet the high-performance, high-security, and integration standards necessary to deploy the next iteration of ICM by its critical September 2026 deadline.

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Peter Thiel’s Palantir Aims Military Grade, Central Intelligence Surveillance Weapons at Americans

In March, President Trump signed an executive order calling for the federal government to share data across various agencies, a move that has not been publicly discussed since but is being implemented with Palantir’s assistance.

This executive order lays the groundwork for Palantir’s involvement, as reported by Raw Story. Palantir’s Gotham software, already used by defense and intelligence agencies, will now profile domestic behavior, detect fraud, and identify risky individuals or patterns.

The Economic Times reported that Palantir is building “the most expansive civilian surveillance infrastructure in U.S. history,” integrating real-time data and AI. As stated in the article:

“Palantir isn’t just improving old databases—it’s building what some experts are calling the most expansive civilian surveillance infrastructure in U.S. history. Instead of scattered files and spreadsheets, the platform will use real-time data integration and artificial intelligence to profile behavior, detect fraud, and identify individuals or patterns deemed risky by the system.” – The Economic Times

This development underscores the scale and potential impact of Palantir’s involvement in domestic surveillance. Raw Story further highlighted the deployment of Palantir’s Foundry platform, noting:

“The push has put a key Palantir product called Foundry into at least four federal agencies, including [the Department of Homeland Security] and the Health and Human Services Department. Widely adopting Foundry, which organizes and analyzes data, paves the way for Mr. Trump to easily merge information from different agencies, the government officials said. Creating detailed portraits of Americans based on government data is not just a pipe dream.” – Raw Story

This expansion into multiple agencies amplifies concerns about privacy and data security. Additionally, the Trump administration seeks access to hundreds of data points, including bank accounts, student debt, medical claims, and disability status.

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How Palantir Is Expanding the Surveillance State

When people complain about Big Tech, they tend to mean companies like Meta, Google, and X—entities providing free tools and platforms that we can choose whether to use. Much less attention is directed at the tech companies helping the federal government consolidate and analyze data on all of us. Companies like the data analytics firm Palantir, created by Paypal co-founder and Donald Trump supporter Peter Thiel.

Palantir has long been connected to government surveillance. It was founded in part with CIA money, it has served as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contractor since 2011, and it’s been used for everything from local law enforcement to COVID-19 efforts. But the prominence of Palantir tools in federal agencies seems to be growing under President Trump. “The company has received more than $113 million in federal government spending since Mr. Trump took office, according to public records, including additional funds from existing contracts as well as new contracts with the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon,” reports The New York Times, noting that this figure “does not include a $795 million contract that the Department of Defense awarded the company last week, which has not been spent.”

Palantir technology has largely been used by the military, the intelligence agencies, the immigration enforcers, and the police. But its uses could be expanding.

“Representatives of Palantir are also speaking to at least two other agencies—the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service—about buying its technology, according to six government officials and Palantir employees with knowledge of the discussions,” reports the Times.

Along with the Trump administration’s efforts to share more data across federal agencies, this signals that Palantir’s huge data analysis capabilities could wind up being wielded against all Americans.

This won’t allow the authorities watch us more so much as it helps them make use of all the data it’s already got on us. But that’s unsettling too.

“The ultimate concern is a panopticon of a single federal database with everything that the government knows about every single person in this country,” Cody Venzke, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, told Wired in April. “What we are seeing is likely the first step in creating that centralized dossier on everyone in this country.”

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Palantir’s Value Soars With Dystopian Spy Tool that Will Centralize Data on Americans

During an end-of-year investor call this February, Palantir CEO, co-founder and militant Zionist Alex Karp bragged that his company was making a financial killing by enabling mass murder.

“Palantir is here to disrupt and make the institutions we partner with the very best in the world and, when it’s necessary, to scare enemies,” he stated, adding: “And on occasion, kill them.”  

On this front, Karp claimed Palantir was “crushing it,” and he professed to be “super-proud of the role we play, especially in places we can’t talk about.” 

Karp went on to predict social “disruption” ahead that would be “very good for Palantir.”

“There’s a revolution. Some people are going to get their heads cut off,” he warned, suggesting that his firm was producing the most vital technology enabling elites to restore control during the coming unrest.

Denver-based Palantir [which specializes in software platforms for big-data analytics] is already playing a decisive role in the besieged Gaza Strip, where its products assist Israel’s application of a ferocious AI targeting system known as Lavender which directs its ongoing genocide.

In the face of public protest, Karp has acknowledged that he is directly involved in killing Palestinians in Gaza, but insisted the dead were “mostly terrorists.”

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