News update on Palantir for 2 June 2025: How Palantir Is Expanding the Surveillance State
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The Second Trump Admin is Compiling Millions of Data on Americans
The Trump Admin is Compiling Millions of Data on Americans
June 2, 2025 | by Charlie Gallo
Reporters Sheera Frenkel and Aaron Krolik of The New York Times reported on 30 May 2025 that the second Trump administration has tapped the controversial tech company Palantir to compile data on millions of Americans and immigrants. Previous reports from CNN and Wired described how the Department of Homeland Security is building mass data collection and processing tools to monitor undocumented immigrants.
MASSIVE DATA CENTRALIZATION EFFORTS OF THE SECOND TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: BACKGROUND, CLAIMED PURPOSE, AND CRITICISMS.
Background and Overview
The second Trump administration has been data-hungry. Donald Trump signed an executive order in March 2025 that directed federal agencies to stop what the admin has deemed waste, fraud, and abuse by eliminating information silos. This involved removing barriers to intra-office sharing of unclassified information and giving the president and agency heads full and prompt access to all agency records, data, software systems, and information technology systems.
Josh Marcus of The Independent noted that the aforementioned is a euphemism for collecting and centralizing a huge amount of data on Americans and other relevant individuals or groups. This opinion is in response to The New York Times article about the Trump administration expanding its contracts with the data analytics company Palantir Technologies to centralize millions of data on Americans as part of adherence to the above mentioned executive order.
Palantir has landed federal government contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars under the second Trump administration. An NPR report by Bobby Allyn noted that the company has been working with various federal and state agencies in the past but has further expanded its dealings since Trump took office in January 2025. The Trump admin has spent USD 113 million as of May and is working on a USD 795 million contract with the Department of Defense.
The same data analytics company is also reportedly behind the efforts to build a master database to surveil and track immigrants according to unnamed sources quoted by CNN and Wired. Note that the initiative is under the purview of the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE and is slated to be integrated into the operations of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE. Note that ICE has also been using software and other services from Palantir.
Please go to profolus to continue reading.
The second Trump administration has been data-hungry. Donald Trump signed an executive order in March 2025 that directed federal agencies to stop what the admin has deemed waste, fraud, and abuse by eliminating information silos. This involved removing barriers to intra-office sharing of unclassified information and giving the president and agency heads full and prompt access to all agency records, data, software systems, and information technology systems.
Josh Marcus of The Independent noted that the aforementioned is a euphemism for collecting and centralizing a huge amount of data on Americans and other relevant individuals or groups. This opinion is in response to The New York Times article about the Trump administration expanding its contracts with the data analytics company Palantir Technologies to centralize millions of data on Americans as part of adherence to the above mentioned executive order.
Palantir has landed federal government contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars under the second Trump administration. An NPR report by Bobby Allyn noted that the company has been working with various federal and state agencies in the past but has further expanded its dealings since Trump took office in January 2025. The Trump admin has spent USD 113 million as of May and is working on a USD 795 million contract with the Department of Defense.
The same data analytics company is also reportedly behind the efforts to build a master database to surveil and track immigrants according to unnamed sources quoted by CNN and Wired. Note that the initiative is under the purview of the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE and is slated to be integrated into the operations of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE. Note that ICE has also been using software and other services from Palantir.
Please go to profolus to continue reading.
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President (of the US corporation) Trump taps Palantir to build a centralized database on all Americans:
Here is what you can do to prevent, stop or interfere with a private corporation like Palantir you didn't give permission to from collecting your data. It's completely understandable to want to protect your personal data from being collected by Palantir. This is a growing concern, and there are various approaches you can take to protect yourself, ranging from individual actions to advocating for broader systemic changes.
Here's a breakdown of how you can limit Palantor's AI's collection of your personal data:
1. Understand and Manage Your Digital Footprint:
Be Mindful of What You Share Online: Every piece of information you post on social media, forums, websites, and even in reviews can potentially be scraped and used for AI training. Think before you share sensitive or extensive personal details.2. Exercise Your Data Rights:
Review Privacy Settings on Platforms:
Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn): Many platforms now offer settings to opt out of your content being used for AI training. You'll often find these in your "Settings & Privacy" or "Privacy Center." Look for options related to "AI Data Usage," "Data Sharing and AI Training," or "Data for Generative AI Improvement."
Google/Microsoft Services (Gemini, Microsoft 365): These companies also have settings to control how your interactions are used for AI improvement. For example, in Google Gemini, you can turn off "Gemini Apps Activity." In Microsoft 365, you can typically disable "optional connected experiences" that analyze your content.
Other Apps and Services: Always check the privacy policies and settings of any app or service you use. Many will have options to limit data collection or opt out of certain uses.
Limit Permissions on Your Devices: Mobile apps often request access to your location, camera, microphone, contacts, and other data. Review and revoke any unnecessary permissions for apps, especially those with AI features.
Clear Browser Data and Use Privacy-Focused Browsers: Regularly clear your browser's cookies and cache. Consider using privacy-focused browsers or extensions that block trackers.
Anonymize or Pseudonymize Data: When possible, use pseudonyms or generalized information instead of your real name or other identifiers, especially in non-professional contexts.
Avoid Public Wi-Fi for Sensitive Tasks: Public Wi-Fi networks are often insecure and can expose your data. Use a secure, private network or a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when dealing with sensitive information.
Many regions have robust data protection laws that give you rights over your personal data. These include:
Right to Be Informed: You have the right to know what data is being collected about you, why, and how it will be used.
Right of Access: You can request access to the personal data an organization holds about you.
Right to Rectification: You can request that inaccurate or incomplete personal data be corrected.
Right to Erasure (Right to Be Forgotten): In many cases, you can request that your personal data be deleted from AI systems and databases. This isn't always absolute, especially if there's a legal obligation to retain data.
Right to Restriction of Processing: You can request that the processing of your personal data be limited.Right to Object: You can object to the processing of your personal data for certain purposes, including direct marketing or AI training.
Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit that data to another controller.
Right Not to Be Subject to Automated Decision-Making: In some cases, you have the right to object to decisions based solely on automated processing (without human intervention) if those decisions significantly affect you. You can request human intervention, express your point of view, and contest the decision.
How to exercise these rights:
Contact the Organization Directly: Most companies subject to privacy laws will have a designated privacy officer or a process for handling data subject requests. Look for their privacy policy on their website for instructions.
Utilize Opt-Out Mechanisms: As mentioned above, many platforms offer direct toggles or forms to opt out of AI training.
File a Complaint with a Data Protection Authority: If an organization doesn't respond to your requests or you believe your rights are being violated, you can file a complaint with the relevant data protection authority in your country or region (e.g., the ICO in the UK, data protection authorities in EU member states).
3. Advocate for Stronger Regulations and Ethical AI:
While individual actions are helpful, systemic change is crucial.
While individual actions are helpful, systemic change is crucial.
Support Privacy Organizations: Get involved with organizations that advocate for data privacy, consumer rights, and ethical AI development.It's a complex and evolving data landscape, but by being proactive and informed, you can significantly reduce the amount of your personal data that AI platforms like Palantir can collect and use.
Learn About and Support AI Legislation: Laws like the GDPR (Europe) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) are examples of regulations that provide individuals with more control over their data. The EU AI Act is also setting new standards for AI governance. Staying informed about these developments and supporting efforts to enact similar laws in your region can make a difference.
Engage in Public Discourse: Share your concerns and contribute to discussions about AI's impact on privacy. The more public awareness and debate there is, the more pressure there will be on developers like Palantir and policymakers to prioritize privacy.
Demand Transparency: Push for greater transparency from AI developers about what data they collect, how it's used, and how decisions are made by their AI systems.
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Very few reporters at this conference where AI warlords are cutting huge contracts with the government (privatized):
Do not leave oversight up to anyone except yourself:
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