When people think of “scary technology,” they often imagine drones, robots, or something they have seen in sci-fi films. But some of the most powerful surveillance tools are not gadgets at all. Palantir, a data analytics company founded with backing from the CIA, has become one of the most influential and controversial tech firms in the world, quietly partnering with governments, police departments, and major corporations. Its dealings raise massive questions about privacy, power, and who controls our personal data.
What Does Palantir Actually Do?
Palantir builds software platforms such as Gotham, Foundry, and Apollo and they pull information from many sources and connect it in seconds. Think about data analysed from phone records, bank accounts, school databases, social media posts, license plate readers, or public records all being combined in one place. Those insights are utilised by the police, intelligence agencies, militaries, and businesses to make decisions.
The company first gained attention for helping intelligence agencies track terrorism networks and chains, but its tools are now used for a lot more than national security purposes. In the U.S., Palantir has worked with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), local police departments, and the Department of Defense. Internationally, it has contracts with health agencies such as the British National Health Service (NHS), militaries, banks, and border authorities.
Why People Are Concerned
Palantir does not spy on people directly, but its software makes it much easier for others to do so. Much of the concern comes from how much data it can combine—and how quietly that happens. Most people never know when their government, council members, or police force are using Palantir technologies, and public oversight is often limited or nonexistent.
Its predictive technology is another issue. When law enforcement uses data to guess who might commit a crime or where it might happen, it can reinforce existing biases or cause a form of mental chaos. Communities that are already heavily policed often get even more attention, not because of current activity but because a lot of past data points back to them.
Palantir has also attracted criticism for its work with ICE. Reports have shown its software has helped identify and locate undocumented immigrants for arrests and deportations. Activists and civil rights groups argue that these tools make it easier to track vulnerable populations without proper accountability.
The Transparency Problem
One of the biggest concerns is secrecy. Many contracts with governments happen behind closed doors, and nondisclosure agreements make it difficult for the public, even elected officials as well, to know how the technology is being utilised. When tools as powerful as Palantir operate without transparency, it becomes harder to protect civil liberties.
Even in non-government settings, Palantir’s influence is growing. Large companies use it to study consumer purchasing behavior, oversee supply chains, or monitor workers to reduce slacking. The worry isn’t necessarily that the technology exists, but rather that people have almost no say in when it is being used on them.
Why This Matters?
Whether you care about privacy, policing, ethics in tech, or how governments use data, Palantir is a driving force of that conversation. Its platforms show how easily personal information can be gathered, analyzed, and acted upon, usually without the knowledge or consent of the people involved.
Palantir is not a cartoon villain or a maniacal robot. The company argues that its tools prevent threats and dangers, improve disaster response, and help complex, rigorous institutions operate more efficiently. But when technology this powerful and this striking develops faster than the rules keeping it in check, it is fair to hold reservations and ask a lot of questions.
For a generation growing up in a world defined by data, Palantir is a reminder that the scariest technologies are not always the ones you can see. They are the ones running in the background.
