Palantir: If That’s Not Big Brother, What Is? By Brian Simpson

       George Christensen's article, "Palantir Is Watching You—and Never Forgets," raises critical concerns about the expanding role of Palantir Technologies in government surveillance, data integration, and AI-driven profiling. His piece is a thought-provoking critique of the potential dangers posed by Palantir's unprecedented access to sensitive data and its implications for individual liberty. Below, I defend the core arguments of Christensen's article, emphasising its relevance, grounding in evidence, and alignment with broader concerns about privacy, power and freedom.

Christensen's central argument is that Palantir's integration of vast government databases, enabled by a Trump-era executive order, creates a surveillance apparatus with the potential for abuse. This is not a speculative claim but a grounded observation. Palantir's platforms, such as Foundry and Gotham, are designed to aggregate and analyse massive datasets, often in real-time, to identify patterns and predict behaviors. The company's contracts with U.S. agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and the CDC, as well as its global reach in allied nations like the UK and Israel, are well-documented. For example, Palantir's work with the NHS in the UK to manage Covid-19 data and its role in U.S. immigration enforcement highlight its deep integration into government operations.

By drawing attention to the unification of federal databases, Christensen underscores a critical shift: the centralisation of sensitive data, Social Security records, IRS filings, health data, and more, into a single, AI-driven system. This consolidation amplifies the risk of misuse, especially when a private company like Palantir, rather than a directly accountable government entity, holds the reins. His concern about the long-term implications, particularly what happens when a less liberty-minded administration inherits this system, is a valid warning rooted in historical precedents, such as the misuse of surveillance tools under programs like the Patriot Act.

Christensen's piece is not a baseless rant but draws on credible sources and whistleblower accounts to support its claims. He references WikiLeaks' warnings about Palantir's role as a "spyware company," a characterisation echoed by privacy advocates who have long scrutinised the company's opaque operations. The mention of In-Q-Tel, the CIA's venture capital arm, as an early funder of Palantir is factual and publicly documented, underscoring the company's deep ties to the intelligence community from its inception. Additionally, Christensen cites Jeffrey Tucker of the Brownstone Institute, a respected voice in analysing government overreach, to frame the broader context of bureaucratic entrenchment and the risks of expanding surveillance under the guise of reform.

The article also points to Palantir's global footprint, including its contracts with the NHS, NATO, and the Israeli Defence Forces. These are verifiable partnerships that demonstrate the company's reach beyond U.S. borders, particularly within the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, which includes Australia. By connecting these dots, Christensen provides a well-rounded case that Palantir's influence is not a fringe issue but a global one with implications for citizens worldwide.

Christensen acknowledges the counterargument that Palantir's technology has tangible benefits, such as combating illegal immigration, dismantling trafficking networks, and streamlining government bureaucracy. This balanced approach strengthens his critique by recognising the short-term "good" that Palantir's tools can achieve. However, he rightly pivots to the long-term risks: the infrastructure Palantir builds is permanent, while political leadership is temporary. His question—"What happens after Trump?"—is a critical lens through which to view any surveillance system. The potential for future administrations to repurpose Palantir's tools against political opponents, religious groups, or dissenting voices is a plausible concern, given historical examples like the targeting of activists during the COINTELPRO era or the use of no-fly lists post-9/11.

By framing Palantir's capabilities as a double-edged sword, Christensen avoids the trap of oversimplification. He doesn't dismiss the technology's utility but warns that its unchecked expansion could normalise population profiling and pre-crime surveillance, eroding the very freedoms it might initially protect.

The article's strength lies in its unapologetic call to action. Christensen urges readers to expose and dismantle this surveillance infrastructure before it becomes entrenched. This aligns with a principled defence of individual liberty and scepticism of centralised power, themes that resonate with both conservative and libertarian audiences. His invocation of historical parallels, such as the Patriot Act and Covid lockdowns, contextualises Palantir's rise as part of a broader trend of governments leveraging crises to justify surveillance. This framing is not conspiratorial, but a reasoned extrapolation based on observable patterns of state behavior.

Moreover, Christensen's willingness to critique a figure he supports, Donald Trump, adds credibility to his argument. It demonstrates intellectual honesty and prioritises principle over partisanship. By acknowledging Trump's role in expanding Palantir's reach while warning of its consequences, he appeals to readers who may share his political leanings but are open to questioning policies that threaten freedom.

George Christensen's article is a compelling and well-reasoned critique of Palantir Technologies' role in expanding government surveillance. It effectively balances acknowledgment of the technology's benefits with a sobering warning about its potential to undermine liberty. By grounding his arguments in verifiable facts, credible sources, and historical context, Christensen delivers a powerful case for scrutiny and action. His call to hold even allies accountable resonates as a principled stance in an era where technology and power are increasingly intertwined. The article serves as both a wake-up call and a rallying cry for those who value freedom over the allure of security.

https://nationfirst.substack.com/p/palantir-is-watching-you-and-never

Palantir Technologies is harvesting private data from millions of Americans with government funding and approval.

A Trump-era executive order unified federal databases, giving Palantir unprecedented access to sensitive information.

The system tracks political views, protest activity, and personal behaviours using AI to flag potential threats.

Palantir's reach extends globally, embedding itself in allied nations' infrastructure including the UK, Israel, and likely Australia.

Surveillance is expanding under the guise of security, risking long-term tyranny through normalised population profiling.

You've heard of Palantir, haven't you? Maybe not. That's the point. This isn't Facebook or Google. Palantir doesn't care if you "like" cat videos. It cares if you attended a protest. If you're behind on your taxes. If you hold what they would describe as "fringe" political views. If you once supported a "dissident" movement. If you ever dared to leak the truth.

And it's not some baseless conspiracy theory. WikiLeaks has warned us—clearly, repeatedly, urgently—that Palantir is the spearhead of an American surveillance machine unlike anything seen before. They're calling it a "spyware company." They're right.

The Trump administration, in its second term, has thrown the doors wide open for this digital dragon. Through an executive order signed in March, all government departments are now feeding their databases into one vast, unified pool—one Palantir can tap, sort, and weaponise. Social Security records. IRS filings. CDC health data. Defence intel. All flowing through Palantir's AI-driven filters.

Yes, Trump did it. And I say this as someone who backed him through thick and thin. But this Palantir business is a fatal error for liberty.

As Jeffrey Tucker of the Brownstone Institute (that have done a great deal of work on COVID authoritarianism) warned just this week:

"Every new leadership in government that inherits that kind of disaster of the last five years is necessarily going to be squeezed between the legacy regime – including its vast bureaucracies and industrial interests – and the populist movements that put them in power. In these cases, the status quo usually proves irresistible but with disastrous consequences later."

And that's exactly the danger we're staring down. Trump wasn't supposed to prop up the old system—he was supposed to smash it. But with Palantir, he didn't break the surveillance regime. He refined it. He expanded it. He fed it more data and more power than it ever had under Obama or Biden.

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Now, many will ask—why is Trump doing this?

And the truth is, a lot of good is coming out of Palantir—especially through law enforcement. It's being used to track illegal immigrants, dismantle sex trafficking rings, crush violent drug syndicates, and even streamline the D.C. bureaucracy that's been choking America for decades. Trump sees that. And maybe, in the short term, he's doing good.

But here's the danger.

What happens after Trump? What happens when a future president—one who sees churchgoers, truth-tellers, or political dissidents as enemies—gets the keys to this surveillance empire? What happens when the system Trump thinks he's using for good is reprogrammed against good people?

Because Palantir will outlive Trump. Its memory doesn't end at the next election. It will be there, waiting, for whoever's next. And if that someone sees liberty as a threat?

You'll be in the crosshairs.

Palantir was born out of PayPal. Its founders—Peter Thiel and Alex Karp—took an anti-fraud algorithm and turned it into a military-grade crystal ball. They named it after the all-seeing stone from Lord of the Rings. A tool of surveillance. A tool of domination. Not even hiding their intentions.

But it didn't rise from Silicon Valley on private dollars alone. **Palantir was seeded with early funding from In-Q-Tel—**the CIA's own venture capital arm. That's right: from day one, it's been stitched into the bones of the American intelligence machine.

And one of the men at the helm, Alex Karp, openly brags about Palantir's power not just to "disrupt," but to "scare our enemies—and on occasion, kill them." His words. Not mine.

Now that same tool is integrated into the U.S. government's deepest vaults. It runs through Homeland Security. The Department of Defense. The CDC. ICE. And more agencies are lining up.

Palantir's platform, Foundry, doesn't just store your data. It analyses it. It predicts what you might do. It assigns risk. It flags "troublemakers." This isn't about catching criminals. This is about profiling the population—before anything happens. Pre-crime is no longer science fiction. It's here. Former employees have confirmed it: whistleblowers are being tracked before they blow the whistle. Psychological dossiers are being assembled. Deportations are being prepped by algorithm.

It's one thing when a rogue state does this. It's another when the United States of America, the so-called "Land of the Free," contracts it out to a private entity. That's the part that should chill you.

And this isn't just a U.S. operation. Palantir is already embedded globally—with contracts inside the NHS in the UK, NATO, and the Israeli Defence Forces, where it's been used in battlefield intelligence, drone strikes, and domestic policing. You think this stops at the U.S. border? Think again. Australia is part of the Five Eyes alliance. If the U.S. is integrating citizen data under Palantir's platform, that data is being shared. Yours. Mine. Everyone's.

So ask yourself: is this how freedom dies? Not with a bang, but with a business contract and a glossy AI dashboard.

Palantir's defenders say it's just helping catch bad guys. But who decides who the "bad guys" are? Because lately, it's not terrorists—it's parents at school board meetings, Christians with strong convictions, and journalists who still have a conscience.

This is the infrastructure of tyranny, and it's being built piece by piece under the guise of safety and efficiency. Just like the Patriot Act. Just like COVID lockdowns. Just like the digital ID proposals creeping across our borders.

Promise order. Deliver surveillance. Wrap it in patriotism and sell it with security.

But we've read this script before.

Enough. If we do nothing, this becomes the new normal. If we remain silent, the cage will be welded shut before we even know we're inside it.

We must expose this. We must dismantle it. And we must hold even our own champions to account when they cross the line.

So share this article. Wake people up. Before the system spreads further into you."