Ministers show interest in adopting Palantir software solutions
In recent times, there has been no clear indication that German security authorities are actively seeking European alternatives to Palantir's analysis software due to data privacy and political value concerns.
The use of Palantir's software by several federal states for their police has been expanding since 2017, with projects like HessenData in Hesse and VeRA in Bavaria. Notable operational successes have been reported, such as in the Munich attack case of 2024. However, critics have raised concerns about the possibility of data being transferred to the US, reflecting ongoing reservations about data privacy and US ties of the company.
Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig has expressed skepticism about the use of Palantir's software, emphasising data protection issues. On the other hand, Minister of Digital Affairs Karsten Wildberger has been open to the use of Palantir's analysis software by German security authorities.
Wildberger's statement focused on the need for digital independence and the development of European alternatives. He did not express any specific criticism of Palantir in this context but did highlight that 75 percent of the cloud solutions used come from big American tech companies.
Palantir, founded in the USA in 2003, was co-founded by Peter Thiel, a tech billionaire known for his libertarian and right-wing conservative positions. Thiel has been criticized by many in Europe due to his proximity to US President Donald Trump and his criticism of liberal democracies.
The potential use of Palantir's software nationwide is being investigated by the federal minister of the interior, Alexander Dobrindt. The software is intended to help investigators automatically identify suspects and prevent or solve crimes. However, the concerns about the software's compatibility with the principles of the rule of law have not been addressed in the current sources.
As the debate continues, some German officials, including Wildberger, advocate for the development of European alternatives to Palantir. The police in Baden-Württemberg may soon join Bavaria, Hesse, and North Rhine-Westphalia in using the software. It remains to be seen how the ongoing discussions will shape the future of data privacy and security in Germany.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, the debates about data privacy and security continue, with Minister of Digital Affairs Karsten Wildberger advocating for the development of European alternatives to Palantir's analysis software. This push towards technology independence mirrors Wildberger's concerns about the dominance of big American tech companies in the cloud solutions market.
