Tensions brew over use of Palantir software in Germany

A coalition party in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia wants law enforcement to ditch Palantir’s software, sparking tensions within the ruling coalition.

The Green Party’s state delegates decided to withdraw support from the big data company Palantir, which has been repeatedly accused of involvement in mass surveillance and other human rights violations.

The party has urged the state government to cancel existing contracts with the US company and stop entering into new ones.

While the decision remains an internal position statement, it may have far-reaching consequences for the ruling coalition of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state in Germany, according to Heise.de.

The state government, under Minister-President Hendrik Wüst of the center-right CDU, uses Palantir software to ensure internal security and combat modern crime.

The breakup with Palantir, however, reflects the position of the Green Party base, which opposes the surveillance state and is a known backer of digital sovereignty, the notion of replacing American technology with European alternatives.

The Greens’ resolution comes after civil rights groups and the North Rhine-Westphalian data protection officer, Bettina Gayk, repeatedly warned of the risks of using Palantir software, Heise.de reports.

The use of Palantir products is also under debate in the state of Baden-Württemberg, where the CDU-led Interior Ministry signed a 5-year contract with the company to use its “Gotham” software, prompting criticism from the Greens.

Germany is shifting away from American tech

The controversy surrounding Palantir is no longer confined to individual German states.

In May, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany’s internal surveillance agency, chose the French provider ChapsVision over Palantir, despite the US company’s aggressive efforts to push into the German market.

There is also an increasing appetite for digital sovereignty across Germany, where nearly 7 in 10 (68%) people support replacing US servers and data storage with local alternatives.

The German state of Schleswig-Holstein announced last year that 80% of its government workplaces had already switched from Microsoft software to open-source alternatives.

The state of Bavaria recently canceled a nearly billion-euro contract with Microsoft. Instead, its administration will pursue a “sovereign basic workspace” based on open-source components.

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