Somewhere in the damp sub-basement of the federal government’s soul, the machines have been humming louder. They’re not building roads or fixing water systems or teaching kids to read. No, these machines, powered by Palantir Technologies and greased with taxpayer cash, are crunching data, your data.
In the latest twist of the bureaucratic noir saga that is the surveillance renaissance, the government has decided that silos are passé. Separate data systems are inefficient.
In March, President Trump signed an executive order aiming to “break down data silos.” The plan was to build a centralized, private-sector-run eye of Sauron for the federal government.
Cue Palantir, the Peter Thiel-backed data firm that always seems to find itself at the center of things when ethics and surveillance get into a bar fight. The company has vacuumed up over $113 million in contracts, not even counting the additional $795 million they just snagged from the Department of Defense.
…
Become a Member and Keep Reading…
Reclaim your digital freedom. Get the latest on censorship, cancel culture, and surveillance, and learn how to fight back.
Already a supporter? Sign In.
Read more
