Thirteen former employees of data analytics firm Palantir have publicly expressed concerns over the company’s recent collaborations with the U.S. government, specifically with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Their comments follow a $30 million agreement between Palantir and ICE to provide tools enabling near real-time monitoring of migrant movements within the country.
The signatories—former software engineers, managers, and a former member of Palantir’s privacy and civil liberties team—stated they initially joined the company based on its code of conduct, which emphasized protecting vulnerable individuals and promoting the ethical development of artificial intelligence technologies.
In their letter, the former employees claim that the foundational ethical standards at Palantir have been undermined, and that similar shifts are taking place across the broader tech sector. At the time of writing, neither Palantir nor the White House has issued a public response to the letter.
Palantir, co-founded by entrepreneur Peter Thiel, develops software that integrates artificial intelligence to process data from multiple sources into visual formats such as charts, tables, and heat maps. These tools are widely used by government agencies, military organizations, and major corporations, especially in security and defense contexts.
The deployment of Palantir’s technologies in support of immigration policy has prompted discussions in some circles. The former employees note that the company’s stock value has risen significantly since the current president took office, and express concern about the implications of these tools in the execution of federal policy.
Although the letter was signed by a small portion of Palantir’s workforce—the company employs approximately 4,000 individuals—it is notable due to the rarity of public criticism from former staff, many of whom are subject to non-disparagement agreements and hold shares in the company.
The letter also points to the integration of former Palantir staff into new government units and raises questions about the impact of such partnerships on civil liberties, particularly regarding the handling of data related to vulnerable populations.
The former employees encourage others in the tech industry to reflect on the applications of artificial intelligence and surveillance technologies. They express hope that their statement will inspire broader industry awareness, emphasizing their desire to raise a warning about the direction of technological development in the current era.
