Democratic Lawmakers Demand Palantir Disclose Expanding Federal Contracts Amid Privacy Concerns

A group of Democratic lawmakers, led by Senators Ron Wyden, Elizabeth Warren, Edward Markey, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is pressing Palantir for details on its expanding federal contracts under the Trump administration amid concerns the company is helping to build a government-wide database containing sensitive taxpayer information. The lawmakers warn that this 'mega-database,' reportedly assembled using Palantir's Foundry data platform, could violate privacy laws such as the Internal Revenue Code and the Privacy Act of 1974 by enabling broad access to tax and personal data across agencies like the IRS and Social Security Administration. Palantir has denied these allegations, stating it is not building a master database or conducting mass surveillance, and emphasizes that its technology upholds legal and ethical standards to protect data privacy. The scrutiny follows reports that Palantir has received over $113 million in federal contracts since President Trump took office, with its software already in use at multiple agencies including Homeland Security and Health and Human Services. Critics fear that the consolidation of data could facilitate government surveillance and targeting of Americans, prompting lawsuits from privacy advocates and other groups. Palantir has also objected to how the media has portrayed its role in this initiative, asserting that the reports are inaccurate.