U.S. technology giant Palantir Technologies posted on social media what it purports to be a summary of the book “The Technological Republic” by Palantir CEO Alex Karp and Corporate Affairs Director Nicholas Zamiska.
Many of the positions articulated in this book go far beyond what is normally expected of technology companies, calling for the introduction of national service, the “moral” obligation of technology companies to participate in defense, the need for hard power to prevail in what might be called free and democratic authority, and the acceptance of religion in public life.
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The release of what appears to be a 22-point manifesto comes at a critical time for Palantir, which has come under global criticism for backing U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration crackdown and backing Israeli military actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Many have expressed alarm at the book’s emphasis on cultural hierarchies and what the book calls “regressive” cultures.
Elliott Higgins, founder of online research platform Bellingcat, sarcastically noted that it was “perfectly normal” for tech companies to post what he described as manifestos attacking democratic norms. “It’s also important to be clear who is talking about it,” Higgins added. “Palantir sells operational software to defense, intelligence, immigration, and law enforcement agencies. These 22 items are not a philosophy floating in space, but the public ideology of a company whose profits depend on politics.”
So what is Palantir? Why is it so controversial? Why did you release your “manifesto” now?
What does the book say?
As well as noting the hard power needed to replace the “soaring rhetoric” once used to defend “free and democratic societies”, the book also decries what it calls the “psychologisation of modern politics”, appearing to criticize those who the author feels are becoming too emotional about their political representation and identity.
To critics, this call for people to pay less attention to politics seems like a way to distract from Palantir’s own controversial political positions and willingness to cooperate with government policies that suppress freedom. Of concern to some is the book’s emphasis on what it calls the technology sector’s “obligation to participate in national defense” and the seeming inevitability of developing AI weapons.
In particular, the authors seem to defend billionaires like Elon Musk, whose achievements are not met with “curiosity or real interest” and are instead ignored by those who “ridicule” the South African-born businessman. Musk has been heavily criticized for his role as head of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency). DOGE abolished multiple government agencies without much regard for the roles they played or the legal and political processes required to shut them down.
Palantir’s post concludes by criticizing the “shallow seduction of empty and empty pluralism.” The magazine argues that thoughtless commitment to inclusivity and pluralism “overstates the fact that certain cultures, and indeed subcultures, have produced wonders. Other cultures have proven half-hearted, and worse, regressive and harmful.”
How are people reacting?
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Mark Kockelberg, a Belgian technology philosopher who teaches at the University of Vienna, described Palantir’s message as “an example of techno-fascism,” while Greek economist and former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis said it effectively signaled Palantir’s willingness to “add an AI-driven existential threat to nuclear Armageddon.”
Entrepreneur and geopolitical commentator Arnaud Bertrand claimed in a social media post that Palantir had revealed a dangerous “ideological agenda.”
“They are effectively saying, ‘Our tools are not meant to serve your foreign policy; they are meant to enforce our foreign policy,'” he wrote.
What is Palantir?
Palantir Technologies is widely recognized as one of the world’s most influential data analytics companies, with large contracts with governments, militaries, and global corporations.
Founded in 2003 by Alex Karp and Peter Thiel and backed by In-Q-Tel, the CIA’s venture capital arm, the company built its early business on post-9/11 intelligence and has since expanded internationally, signing contracts in Europe, the Middle East and beyond.
Although Mr Thiel continues to hold shares in Palantir, it is understood that he no longer plays an active role in its day-to-day operations. Mr. Karp positions himself as the public face of the company.
Under Mr. Karp’s leadership, Palantir has drawn heavily on the expertise of former members of Israel’s cyber intelligence unit 8200. Its involvement in Gaza and the occupied West Bank expanded significantly after the company announced a “strategic partnership” with Israel in January 2024. Using a combination of intercepted communications, satellite material, and other digital data sources, Palantir began consolidating these inputs to help create a target database (in effect, a “kill list”) for the Israeli military.
It has also forged close ties with U.S. security officials, particularly under the Trump administration, which Thiel has fervently supported, and has cooperated with Israel during its occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza massacre.
According to its critics, including the rights group Amnesty International, “Palantir has a track record of flagrant disregard for international law and standards, both in risking complicity in human rights abuses of migrants in the United States and in continuing to provide artificial intelligence (AI) products and services to Israeli military and intelligence services related to Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
What specific crimes has Palantir been accused of in Israel and the US?
Palantir Technologies has faced criticism around the world for enabling government surveillance and military systems in the United States and Israel.
In the United States, it has been accused of aggregating vast personal data sets, including medical information, to enable profiling and support immigration enforcement and police tools that raise due process and privacy concerns. In Israel, critics argue that its AI and data platforms are used in military operations in Gaza, potentially contributing to the targeting that has underpinned Israel’s genocide.
In response to questions from Al Jazeera earlier this year, a Palantir spokesperson said, “As a company, Palantir does support Israel. We choose to support them because of the horrific events of October 7th. And more broadly, because we believe in supporting the West and its allies, and Israel is a key ally of the West.” The spokesperson referred to the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, after which Israel launched a genocidal war against Gaza.
Why are we posting the “Manifesto” now?
Palantir’s politics and influence have become increasingly alarming in many parts of the Western world.
In addition to concerns from U.S. Democrats, politicians in Germany, Ireland and the European Parliament have also criticized the tech giant, with a German lawmaker and cybersecurity expert saying its products do not meet security standards in the region.
In the United Kingdom, the controversy over the adoption of Palantir technology by the National Health Service has led to the most intense criticism yet. In a debate last week, MPs called on Britain to take advantage of early termination of Palantir’s £330m ($446.4m) contract with the health service, labeling Palantir “horrible” and “shameful”, before admitting even the government was “not a fan” of Palantir’s politics.
Louis Mosley, director of Palantir Technologies UK, defended the company, saying it is not interested in patient data and exists only as a tool to better manage health services’ resources.
