Palantir is back in the spotlight — and not in a good way.
Under a new federal initiative greenlit by President Donald Trump’s executive order, the company is building a centralized mega-database pulling unclassified data from across agencies: IRS, Social Security, immigration, and more.
It’s pitched as a streamlined tool for governance. Critics call it something else entirely — surveillance on steroids.
Sites like Kalshi and Polymarket have traders wondering what’s going to happen next, and that includes whether or not the Don might seek a third term (10%).
Here are the key concerns.
The Executive Order That Set It Off
Trump’s March 2025 executive order mandates federal agencies share unclassified data across a unified platform. Palantir, already embedded in government contracts, is now building the infrastructure to make that happen.
What’s in the Database?
Tax filings, benefits claims, immigration records, criminal histories — Palantir’s system could stitch it all together. Critics say it’s a surveillance superweapon masquerading as government efficiency.
Civil Liberties Groups Sound the Alarm
The ACLU and others argue the plan threatens core rights to privacy, consent, and due process. There’s minimal oversight, little transparency, and enormous potential for abuse.
MAGA World Isn’t Happy Either
In a twist, even some Trump loyalists are furious — likening the move to a digital police state. The fear: a government-run panopticon that can track you from paycheck to protest.
Palantir’s Defense
The company insists it doesn’t collect or sell personal data. It claims its tools have “granular controls” to prevent misuse and protect privacy. But critics aren’t buying it.
A Troubling Track Record
Palantir has already faced scrutiny over employee misuse, invasive policing tools, and its lucrative work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This latest move just scales that controversy to a national level.
Whistleblowers Push Back
Thirteen former Palantir employees signed an open letter denouncing the company’s shift toward authoritarian tech. They say it’s abandoning its founding values — and helping build a machine no one should control.
The Stakes Are Massive
This isn’t about better spreadsheets. It’s about giving one company the power to map Americans’ lives in terrifying detail — with no meaningful oversight or public accountability.
Welcome to the New Normal?
Unless Congress or the courts intervene, Palantir’s mega-database may quietly become one of the most powerful — and dangerous — tools in U.S. history.
