Palantir CEO Denies US Citizen Surveillance Amid Shares Drop

Palantir Technologies CEO Alex Karp has strongly denied allegations reported by The New York Times that the company aided the Trump administration in unlawfully surveilling American citizens by compiling a broad database during his presidency. Karp described these claims as "ridiculous" and "blatantly untrue," emphasizing that Palantir's Foundry platform has stringent security measures and is designed to prevent unlawful data manipulation. Despite these denials, concerns persist among Republican privacy advocates about Palantir's expanding role in interagency data-sharing initiatives, which could create a vast database of personal information and raise significant privacy issues. Palantir continues to secure new contracts with U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon, which some critics argue could facilitate broad data consolidation. The controversy has contributed to a decline in Palantir's stock price, reflecting market sensitivity to potential regulatory and privacy challenges. Karp also highlighted the strategic importance of U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence, underscoring the need for Western nations to innovate and remain competitive globally.