German intelligence offices snub US-based Palantir software
Key takeaways
- Germany's domestic intelligence agency has reportedly chosen a data analysis system from France, instead of US-based Palantir.
- https://p.dw.com/p/5Dl4b German intelligence services have decided against awarding a software contract to Palantir, reports say Image: Rise & Shine Advertisement Palantir has long divided opinions.
- According to reports, Germany's domestic intelligence agency has instead settled on a product from French company ChapsVision.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Germany's domestic intelligence agency has reportedly chosen a data analysis system from France, instead of US-based Palantir. Civil society has welcomed the move, but says more must be done.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Dl4b German intelligence services have decided against awarding a software contract to Palantir, reports say Image: Rise & Shine Advertisement Palantir has long divided opinions. In the eyes of its proponents and opponents, the analysis tools made by the publicly traded US company which are in-demand worldwide are either a silver bullet or the devil's work. Against this backdrop, a media report has emerged in Germany: according to information from the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, as well as public broadcasters NDR and WDR, the country's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, BfV) has decided against using Palantir.
According to reports, Germany's domestic intelligence agency has instead settled on a product from French company ChapsVision. However, there is no official confirmation of this — neither from the software company nor the BfV. A spokesperson from the German Ministry of the Interior told DW that the BfV generally does not comment publicly on operational matters, arguing it "could pose a security risk that would allow conclusions to be drawn about the working methods of the BfV."