What Does Palantir Actually Do?
Palantir is often deemed one of the most notorious tech firms in contemporary America, co-founded by Peter Thiel. The company’s association with controversial entities such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the US Department of Defense, and the Israeli military has sparked protests worldwide. These controversies have attributed a dystopian surveillance capability to Palantir.
Despite the notoriety, many former employees report a public misunderstanding of the company’s operations. Contrary to popular belief, Palantir isn't a data broker or a centralized database administrator. The company has made efforts to clarify misconceptions through articles such as “Palantir Is Not a Data Company.”
Former employees, like Linda Xia, find it challenging to succinctly describe Palantir’s business model. Some ex-staffers linked Palantir’s work to extravagant data management for corporations, whereas others referred to its notable software platform, Foundry, blaming complexity for prevalent misunderstandings.
Palantir’s unique market differentiation might be its marketing strategy. It positions itself as a military-like intelligence partner against sprawling government agencies and Fortune 500 companies using emotionally charged, omnipotent language. CEO Alexander Karp stated in a 2025 earnings call that Palantir aims to 'dominate' and support their partners.
The company embeds its employees—labeled as 'forward deployed software engineers'—within client organizations, inspired by military terms for strategic deployment. This is part of Palantir’s cultural affinity with phrases drawn from military operations and fictional references from the 'Lord of the Rings.'
Palantir’s tools aid clients—ranging from corporations to government agencies—in dousing through massive, intricate data collective systems without altering their framework. Instead, its software facilitates user-friendly data handling, enhancing decision-making.
Palantir’s profitability stems from its main platforms, Foundry for commercial clients and Gotham for government bodies, integrating various data types to refine operations. It tailors solutions to data-incentivized problems, ensuring buyers a seamless solution to complex tasks.
Critics of Palantir, including former employees like Juan Sebastián Pinto, express concerns over the potent influence such software could wield if used by authoritarian regimes. The technology, arguably amplifying user intent, poses ethical and operational dilemmas, irrespective of the company’s internal meritocracy principles.
Palantir’s influence essentially shapes narratives from immense datasets, inviting praises but equally raising significant ethical quandaries about its prospective uses.
