By: Michael Makiej
In March 2025, President Donald Trump (“President Trump”) signed an executive order instructing federal agencies to share data across departments to “eliminate information silos and streamline data collection.” The administration framed the move as an efficiency measure, designed to modernize operations and reduce costs. However, many critics of the order raised a darker possibility: the creation of a master database of personal information on Americans that could concentrate unprecedented surveillance powers in the hands of the federal government. At the heart of this effort sits Palantir Technologies, a Silicon Valley data analytics company co-founded by Peter Thiel. Palantir, which built its reputation on defense and intelligence contracts, quietly became the government’s go-to software developer, spreading its flagship Foundry platform across multiple agencies.
In recent months, Palantir engineers embedded at the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) to help build what sources describe as a “mega API” (“Application Programming Interface”) that could unify all IRS data into a single, searchable hub and nerve center for the agency’s systems. At the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”), Palantir’s software is powering real-time migrant tracking operations through a $30 million Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) contract. Talks are also underway with the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) and the Department of Education (“ED” or “DOE”) about adopting Foundry, while Palantir is already working with the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) and the Pentagon. The scope suggests not just efficiency but the possibility of linking tax, medical, financial, and immigration records across agencies. Critics warn that such consolidation exceeds statutory authority and risks violating constitutional privacy protections.
Founded in 2003 by Alex Karp and Peter Thiel, Palantir possesses the ability to sift through vast datasets for intelligence and defense agencies. Its products, Foundry and Gotham, specialize in cleaning, integrating, and visualizing complex information, often with the help of artificial intelligence. During the pandemic, Palantir managed vaccine distribution logistics for the Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”).
Now, its reach has expanded dramatically. Palantir received more than $113 million in federal government spending since President Trump returned to office. This is in addition to a $795 million Pentagon contract for its Maven Smart System program, which has a ceiling of $1.3 billion. According to Palantir’s quarterly earnings, its U.S. government revenue has grown by more than $370 million compared to last year.
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https://sites.suffolk.edu/jhtl/2025/10/07/palantir-spearheads-as-the-master-database-on-americans/
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