Peter Thiel, Palantir, and mass surveillance under Trump

Peter Thiel, Palantir, and mass surveillance under Trump

What links Peter Thiel, JD Vance, and the software used to monitor citizens before they commit a crime? The debate begins with a troubling thesis: the connection between the billionaire co-founder of Palantir and the man chosen as Trump's vice president should alarm anyone who values freedom and privacy. During Trump's first term, Palantir secured lucrative contracts with the military and intelligence agencies, and the pre-crime surveillance agenda received a significant boost. Attorney General William Barr quietly legalized pre-crime through the DEEP program, which allows the FBI to monitor individuals who have not committed a crime but are "mobilizing toward violence."

What is the DEEP program and what does it allow?

The DEEP program, according to its initial framework, authorizes the Department of Justice and the FBI to work with "private sector partners" to monitor persons of interest who have not engaged in incivil activity. The definition of "domestic terrorist" has been expanded to include those who oppose government overreach and any form of capitalism. In parallel, Barr pushed to establish backdoors in encrypted applications and signed an agreement with the UK to demand consumer data without legal restrictions.

Carbyne911 and surveillance in emergency calls

A company linked to Israeli intelligence, Carbyne911, has been installed in emergency call centers across the United States. Funded by Thiel's Founders Fund, it also received funding from Jeffrey Epstein and Leslie Wexner. It extracts data from the smartphones of those calling 911 and uses it to predict future patterns. The ultimate goal: for smart devices to make emergency calls to authorities instead of human beings.

HARPA and the early diagnosis of violence

The Trump administration considered creating HARPA, an agency inspired by DARPA, to use artificial intelligence and machine learning for the early diagnosis of neuropsychiatric violence. It would have cost $60 million over four years and would have used data from social media, Apple Watches, Fitbits, Amazon Echo, and Google Home. Although it was not created then, Trump reacted "very positively" to the proposal, which eventually saw the light of day as ARPA-H under the Biden administration.

Thiel, Vance, and the network of influence

The relationship between Thiel and JD Vance goes beyond politics: Thiel was one of the early investors in "Hillbilly Elegy," the book that launched Vance to fame. That connection, according to the thread, explains why Palantir enjoyed privileged status. Some argue that Thiel is a key player in the military-industrial complex and that his influence extends to the selection of key appointments in the Pentagon.

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Ultimately, the question is not whether Thiel is dangerous, but how many of those currently legislating on surveillance have previously been part of his investment portfolio.