Calls grow to ban Palantir in Australia after manifesto described by UK MP as ‘ramblings of a supervillain’
Australian government agencies have spent nearly $80m on contracts with US spy tech company Palantir, amid calls to ban new contracts due to the company's controversial manifesto and associations. Palantir has responded by saying it is 'just a software company' that doesn't collect or monetise data.
Palantir, a US spy tech company co-founded by Peter Thiel, has faced calls for a ban on new contracts in Australia after publishing a manifesto implying some cultures are inferior to others. Australian government agencies have spent nearly $80m on Palantir contracts, with federal investment reportedly over $160m. The company's software is used by various government agencies, including the defence department and financial intelligence agency Austrac. Palantir has responded to criticism by stating it is 'just a software company' that provides tools to help customers organise and understand their own information. The Australian Greens senator David Shoebridge has called for a blanket ban on new contracts with Palantir pending a public audit of existing agreements. Palantir has identified Australia as a lucrative market for its surveillance software, achieving 'protected level' in the Australian Signals Directorate's information security registered assessors program.
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