Spanish government blacklists Palantir – media

Spain is the third European country in just over a month to ban its agencies from working with the US military tech giant

The Spanish government is ordering state-backed companies to cut their ties with US defense contractor Palantir, Spain’s El Confidencial newspaper has reported. The move follows similar bans in France and Germany.

Sources within several public firms told the newspaper that they have been instructed not to sign any new contracts with Palantir over fears that classified national security information could fall into the company’s hands.

The ban affects state businesses operating in the communications, defense, military technology, and public infrastructure sectors, El Confidencial reported. The Spanish military, however, has reportedly been given an exemption. In 2023, the Spanish Defense Ministry’s Armed Forces Intelligence Center (CIFAS) signed a €16.5 million ($18.8 million) deal with Palantir, which expires next November. 

Two parties in Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’ coalition, Sumar and Junts, have demanded that the government explain the defense ministry’s remaining contract with Palantir. In an official response on Thursday, the government said that Palantir does “not have access to data on Spanish citizens.”

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Palantir’s data analytics software is used by militaries, law enforcement agencies, and government departments worldwide, including Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) and the US Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The company’s flagship product, an operating system called ‘Gotham’, is used by the US and Israeli militaries. It pulls together disparate data – for example drone footage, maps, and live streams from soldiers on the ground – and uses AI to predict enemy movements and plan strikes.

However, Palantir CEO Alex Karp’s close relationship with US President Donald Trump’s administration, and his recent ‘manifesto’ espousing American military supremacy, have made the company unpopular in Europe. Last month, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced that the country’s domestic intelligence agency, the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), would “replace the American giant Palantir” with software developed by French firm ChapsVision.

Germany’s equivalent of the DGSI, the BfV, has also reportedly chosen ChapsVision for its data analytics needs.

Last month, London Mayor Sadiq Khan intervened to block a £50 million ($66.5 million) deal between Palantir and the city’s Metropolitan Police, calling the contract a “clear and serious breach” of procurement rules. Palantir still has a £330 million deal with the NHS, and a £240m deal with the UK’s defense ministry.