JD Vance, another influential political figure whose been courting a 2028 presidential run, could find himself endangered by his ties to Palantir Technologies. This private corporation has become infamous in recent years for its role in data analytics and government surveillance. As Vance eyes a future in politics, the scrutiny surrounding Palantir’s operations, particularly its partnerships with foreign governments and U.S. agencies, could pose significant hurdles.
Palantir has come under fire for their automatic predictive policing technology sold to Israel. It has made crucial impacts all throughout the country’s core defense infrastructure. These services have come under fire from civil libertarians, racial justice advocates, and other legal rights defenders. In a chilling new report, a special rapporteur from the United Nations sounded alarm bells over Palantir’s operations. Without clear accountability or oversight, these operations, particularly in the case of Israel, are likely to violate human rights.
In the U.S., Palantir works on a multimillion-dollar contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The company has become essential to ICE by drastically increasing the deportation logistics. That’s raised the alarm of civil rights advocates. Palantir, meanwhile, is hard at work on an “ImmigrationOS.” This pioneering tool would provide near real-time visibility to instances of self-deportation among individuals in the path of immigration enforcement.
The company’s co-founder, Peter Thiel, has outsize clout not only in the tech industry, but in the political sphere. Thiel has doubled-down on Vance’s Senate campaign by pouring in an additional $15 million. He has inflamed liberal sensibilities by arguing that democracy and freedom are not self-evidently compatible. His support has put Vance further in bed with Palantir than most lawmakers, so what this means for his anti-establishment political ambitions remains to be seen.
In a joint statement to the Wall Street Journal, Vance confirmed our speculation about the speculation on his connection to Palantir.
“I get asked about Palantir a lot because there’s this internet meme out there that somehow I am super in bed with Palantir.” – JD Vance
Vance and Palantir’s relationship goes beyond financial backing. Vance’s hiring at Thiel’s investment firm Mithril Capital in 2016, which Thiel had actively pushed for, further entwined the two men’s careers. If Vance indeed runs for president himself, he’ll have to learn to navigate those complex ties as well. He has to fix how the public thinks about Palantir’s business.
Palantir has faced a wave of backlash over its close collaboration with intelligence and law enforcement agencies. In response, critics have called the company “the AI arms dealer of the 21st century.” In May, Palantir’s co-founder Alex Karp faced heckling from a pro-Palestine protester who accused him of being complicit in violence against Palestinians. These underlying trends and incidents underscore that companies such as Palantir will face mounting scrutiny. They work at that very special intersection between tech and public policy.
As Vance weighs his own future, the deepening connections between the Trump administration and Palantir makes his political calculations more difficult. While this relationship may appeal to some target voter demographics, it might turn off voters who are wary of Palantir’s secretive practices.