In the News

Four Democratic senators and six Democratic representatives have sent a letter to Palantir Technologies' CEO demanding information about reports that the Denver-based company is creating a government-wide database containing sensitive taxpayer data, raising questions about potential Privacy Act violations.

The lawmakers' letter states the Department of Defense recently awarded Palantir a $795 million contract to analyze data for the U.S. Military, intensifying scrutiny of Colorado's most valuable company and its work with the Trump administration.

"We write to demand information regarding reports that Palantir is… amassing troves of data on Americans to create a government-wide, searchable 'mega-database' containing the sensitive taxpayer data of American citizens," the letter reads in part.

The controversy centers on whether Palantir's work violates the Privacy Act of 1974, which limits which branches of government can access certain information. Capitol Hill lawmakers want to know exactly who else Palantir is working with inside the Trump administration beyond the Defense Department contract.

"I strongly oppose the Trump Administration creating a database of Americans' most personal information, especially after Donald Trump and Elon Musk have repeatedly played fast and loose with Americans’ sensitive data," said Democratic Congressman Jason Crow in a statement to 9NEWS.

No Colorado lawmaker signed on to the letter sent to Palantir, but several are already signaling their concerns about Palantir's potential work with the Trump administration, as first reported by the New York Times. 

"It’s deeply troubling that our sensitive personal data could be used to carry out Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda,” said Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen in a statement to 9NEWS. “I don’t trust this administration to use this information responsibly – we’ve already seen DOGE mishandling our personal information. We need clear answers about how this data is being collected and what it’s being used for.”

Vice President JD Vance attempted to address concerns about the company during an appearance on Theo Von's podcast, saying, "I don't believe that Palantir is collecting any information. I think that Palantir is purely building a database that's sort of combining the information."

His comments seemed to confirm that the Trump administration is working with Palantir to create a large database on everyone's personal information. 

Vance added, "We've got to live in reality. The government's already got this information. We just have to make sure they don't misuse it."

Palantir is also expanding its military connections. The company's chief technology officer was recently sworn in as an Army Reserve Lt. Col. as part of what the Army describes as an effort to find high-tech solutions to complex problems. Tech executives from Meta and OpenAI were also included in the initiative, which it calls Detachment 201: The Army’s Executive Innovation Corps.

Palantir operates from a nondescript office building in Denver with no signs marking the presence of the technology company outside. 

The growing scrutiny highlights the tension between national security data analysis and privacy concerns as Palantir's government contracts continue to expand under the Trump administration