Trump Grants Tech Firm Palantir Power To Create Mega-Database Of Americans’ Information Across Agencies

President Donald Trump has been utilizing the work data analysis and technology company Palantir to advance efforts to create a database filled with personal information on American citizens by sharing data across federal agencies.

After signing an executive order in March that required federal agencies to share data, Trump has expanded the use of Palantir, with more agencies utilizing the company’s technology to merge information seamlessly.

Palantir has received over $113 million in federal government spending since the beginning of Trump’s second term. Palantir was recently awarded a substantial $795 million contract from the Department of Defense, which has yet to be fully utilized.

The collective adoption of Palantir’s technology across the federal government allows it to create a detailed database of personal information on American citizens. Trump’s executive order has given the federal government enormous amounts of personal information on citizens, including bank account numbers, student debt accumulation, employment status, and medical records.

Privacy advocates and other organizations have filed numerous lawsuits to restrict data accessible to the federal government, fearing the government could weaponize personal information.

White House officials have referred to Trump’s executive order as an effort to “eliminate information silos and streamline data collection across all agencies to increase government efficiency and save hard-earned taxpayer dollars.”

Elon Musk reportedly played a key role in selecting Palantir for the project during his time leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Several DOGE members had close connections to the data company, with some being former employees.

Palantir has asserted that its technology is not intended for the exploitation of private information.

Palantir is owned by billionaire Peter Thiel, a Trump donor who co-founded PayPal with Elon Musk. In 2023, Thiel said he regretted supporting Trump.

“We act as a data processor, not a data controller,” the company wrote in a blog post. “Our software and services are used under direction from the organizations that license our products: these organizations define what can and cannot be done with their data; they control the Palantir accounts in which analysis is conducted.”

Both Trump and Palantir have declined to comment on the company’s work with the federal government.