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Jilly_in_VA

(13,783 posts)
Mon May 26, 2025, 10:36 AM May 2025

The Most Terrifying Company in America You've Never Heard Of

Most Americans have never heard of Palantir. That’s by design. It doesn’t make phones or social platforms. It doesn’t beg for your data with bright buttons or discount codes. Rather, it just takes it. Quietly. Legally. Systematically. Palantir is a back-end beast, the silent spine of modern surveillance infrastructure.

Palantir’s influence isn’t hypothetical. It’s operational. From the battlefields of Ukraine to the precincts of Los Angeles, its software guides drone strikes, predicts crime, allocates police resources, and even helps governments decide which children might someday become “threats.” These aren’t sci-fi hypotheticals. They are pilot programs, already integrated, already scaling.

This software—Gotham, Foundry, and now its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP)—is designed to swallow everything: hospital records, welfare files, license plate scans, school roll calls, immigration logs and even your tweets. It stitches these fragments into something eerily complete—a unified view of you. With each data point, the image sharpens.

If Facebook turned people into products, Palantir turns them into probabilities. You’re not a user. You’re a variable—run through predictive models, flagged for anomalies, and judged in silence.

This is not just surveillance. It’s prediction. And that distinction matters: Surveillance watches. Prediction acts. It assigns probabilities. It flags anomalies. It escalates risk. And it trains bureaucrats and law enforcement to treat those algorithmic suspicions as fact. In short: the software decides, and people follow.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-most-terrifying-company-in-america-is-probably-one-youve-never-heard-of/

I've known about them for awhile...have you?

48 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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The Most Terrifying Company in America You've Never Heard Of (Original Post) Jilly_in_VA May 2025 OP
Nope, never heard of them. Thank you, my dear Jilly_in_VA. This is terrifying. n/t CaliforniaPeggy May 2025 #1
I knew it was them D_Master81 May 2025 #2
Stock is up over 1200% since then TheProle May 2025 #11
Yup. Remember when I first became aware of them and their inside track to the US intelligence communitiess erronis May 2025 #3
I've known of them since the InsLaw days and "The Octopus Murders" SharonAnn May 2025 #9
Palantir is Peter Thiel UpInArms May 2025 #4
Thiel is indeed evil. Glaisne May 2025 #20
Calling JD Vance an 'ally' of Thiel is an understatement. He is a protege and a Thiel-sponsored tool. Nt lostnfound May 2025 #42
What if I told you "DOGE" was about data harvesting rather than it's professed purpose. Snarkoleptic May 2025 #5
Of course it was. SharonAnn May 2025 #10
Of course it was, yes. Nt lostnfound May 2025 #43
Believe it. No doubt. n/t defacto7 May 2025 #44
Minority Report made real. GoneOffShore May 2025 #6
Yes, known about it since mid-2022 bucolic_frolic May 2025 #7
AKA: Agent Mike Bo Zarts May 2025 #8
I know about Palentir ... aggiesal May 2025 #12
Yep Iamscrewed May 2025 #13
Wasn't there a movie about this years ago DENVERPOPS May 2025 #14
Yup lonely bird May 2025 #23
Heard about but didn't know of. Prairie_Seagull May 2025 #15
Yep, heard all about them... MiHale May 2025 #16
Testimonials from partner/clients (from the Palantir homepage): Auggie May 2025 #17
Good info. calimary May 2025 #33
This reminds me of "The Machine" from an action-oriented TV program from several years ago. BobTheSubgenius May 2025 #18
Oh, I've known of them. Unfortunately, however, most have NO idea...and not nearly enough attention has been paid to Karasu May 2025 #19
And who is anomalist, different and a potential threat? Glaisne May 2025 #21
Well, yes and no lonely bird May 2025 #25
Naming your company after a LOTR device Aviation Pro May 2025 #22
They tried to compete in the legal field Henry203 May 2025 #24
Yes. I've posted a few threads about them the last couple of years: highplainsdem May 2025 #26
+1 dalton99a May 2025 #36
When McKINSEY COMES TO TOWN..Another one that will blow your mind. multigraincracker May 2025 #27
Thiel's company. BadgerMom May 2025 #28
He truly is a pile of shit with arms and legs wolfie001 May 2025 #31
Palantir was a seeing stone in Lord of the Rings Martin Eden May 2025 #29
Sounds related to "The Entity," in the latest Mission Impossible film dlk May 2025 #30
A strange one, indeed. Joinfortmill May 2025 #32
Important malaise May 2025 #34
Kick dalton99a May 2025 #35
K & R . . . Journeyman May 2025 #37
Don't forget that Thiel gave JD Vance his $ start. TheRickles May 2025 #38
Yep. He's his sockpuppet. Thiel has IMMENSE power over this regime. Karasu May 2025 #40
It sounds like the movie Minority Report. With PC's instead of physic people. OverBurn May 2025 #39
I hate... GiqueCee May 2025 #41
It was not created as a tool for Sauron's evil soldierant May 2025 #47
I saw the post & thought "Palantir." CaptainTruth May 2025 #45
I remember EuterpeThelo May 2025 #46
Yep and posted articles justaprogressive May 2025 #48

D_Master81

(2,339 posts)
2. I knew it was them
Mon May 26, 2025, 10:42 AM
May 2025

I saw the headline and thought “I bet it’s palentir”. Still not really sure what it is they do but they were a big meme stock in 2021 so I looked into them.

erronis

(22,486 posts)
3. Yup. Remember when I first became aware of them and their inside track to the US intelligence communitiess
Mon May 26, 2025, 10:42 AM
May 2025
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palantir_Technologies

I knew then that they would be up to no good, except enriching themselves.

SharonAnn

(14,136 posts)
9. I've known of them since the InsLaw days and "The Octopus Murders"
Mon May 26, 2025, 11:30 AM
May 2025

InsLaw was the first software that I knew of (in the 1980’s?) that scanned data files from various sources and tied together related entries. Scared even back then. Now with Musk’s theft of all our data in government files the new generation, Palantir, is absolutely terrifying.

UpInArms

(53,960 posts)
4. Palantir is Peter Thiel
Mon May 26, 2025, 10:46 AM
May 2025

EVIL EVIL EVIL

eta

The Man Who’s Everywhere: 7 Peter Thiel Companies


Peter Thiel is a powerful but low-profile figure in tech and politics, with significant investments in major companies like Palantir, PayPal, Meta, and OpenAI.
Thiel’s investments and political affiliations have positioned him as a key behind-the-scenes player in the U.S. government.
His network extends deep into the White House, with key allies like JD Vance and David Sacks holding influential roles in Trump’s administration.
As of 2025, Thiel’s net worth exceeds $20 billion, fueled by his early exits from PayPal and Facebook and ongoing tech investments.

Peter Thiel has long been a shadowy yet dominant figure in the tech world, wielding influence across a vast network of companies that are shaping the modern digital landscape. While he is less outspoken than figures like Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos, his strategic investments and political connections make him one of the most powerful individuals in technology and politics.

Thiel was an early backer of Donald Trump in 2016 and remains closely aligned with figures like Vice President JD Vance. More recently, despite a publicized fallout with Trump, he is rumored to have indirect ties to the DOGE government takeover.

To truly grasp Thiel’s influence, one must examine his investments and affiliations. In this article, we’ll explore the major tech companies in which Peter Thiel has played a crucial role, either as an investor, founder, or board member.


Palantir Technologies PLTR Alex Karp Data Analytics & Artificial Intelligence
PayPal PYPL Alex Chriss Financial Technology
Meta META Mark Zuckerberg Social Media & Advertising
OpenAI N/A Sam Altman Artificial Intelligence
Stripe N/A Patrick Collison Financial Technology
Anduril Industries N/A Brian Schimpf Military AI & Autonomous Defense
Rumble RUM Chris Pavlovski Social Media & Video Hosting

Glaisne

(618 posts)
20. Thiel is indeed evil.
Mon May 26, 2025, 12:19 PM
May 2025

He is a behind the scenes fascist architect. He is a POS asshole that more people need to know about. He's a big reason for Trump and our growing fascist authoritarianism.

lostnfound

(17,383 posts)
42. Calling JD Vance an 'ally' of Thiel is an understatement. He is a protege and a Thiel-sponsored tool. Nt
Mon May 26, 2025, 06:08 PM
May 2025

Snarkoleptic

(6,209 posts)
5. What if I told you "DOGE" was about data harvesting rather than it's professed purpose.
Mon May 26, 2025, 11:03 AM
May 2025

Tech broligarchs want all of your information.

bucolic_frolic

(53,798 posts)
7. Yes, known about it since mid-2022
Mon May 26, 2025, 11:13 AM
May 2025

Rec'd by Kathy Wood, hedge fund guru, disciple of Arthur Laffer, Reagan econ guy. Heritage, Hoover area, I think.

aggiesal

(10,518 posts)
12. I know about Palentir ...
Mon May 26, 2025, 11:40 AM
May 2025

They visited the company I work for. I was part of the Demo team.

DENVERPOPS

(13,003 posts)
14. Wasn't there a movie about this years ago
Mon May 26, 2025, 11:47 AM
May 2025

along a theme of "NO MORE SECRETS" ? May be with Redford and Ben Kingsley??????? I will have to look it up on IMDB

Looked it up: SNEAKERS...........1992

lonely bird

(2,710 posts)
23. Yup
Mon May 26, 2025, 12:28 PM
May 2025

“Too Many Secrets” spelled out with Scrabble pieces.

Redford, Kingsley, Sidney Poitier.

Prairie_Seagull

(4,588 posts)
15. Heard about but didn't know of.
Mon May 26, 2025, 11:51 AM
May 2025

Thanks Jilly, I think.

Scary shit and the genie is free never to be put back in the bottle.

IMO

MiHale

(12,542 posts)
16. Yep, heard all about them...
Mon May 26, 2025, 11:54 AM
May 2025

Palantir Technologies Inc. is an American publicly-traded company that specializes in software platforms for big data analytics. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, it was founded by Peter Thiel, Stephen Cohen, Joe Lonsdale, and Alex Karp in 2003.

Source Wikipedia.

Auggie

(32,820 posts)
17. Testimonials from partner/clients (from the Palantir homepage):
Mon May 26, 2025, 11:54 AM
May 2025

Partial list:

AARP
AT&T
Heineken
United Airlines
Lowe's
Fujitsu
Panasonic Energy North America
Walgreens
General Mills
Lennar
Archer Aviation
Tampa General Hospital
Eaton
HCA Healthcare
Wendy's Supply Chain CO-OP
L3Harris

https://www.palantir.com

Thanks for sharing

calimary

(88,861 posts)
33. Good info.
Mon May 26, 2025, 02:26 PM
May 2025

No - GREAT info!!!

Palantir: a back-end beast, the silent spine of modern surveillance infrastructure.

BobTheSubgenius

(12,168 posts)
18. This reminds me of "The Machine" from an action-oriented TV program from several years ago.
Mon May 26, 2025, 12:10 PM
May 2025

Person Of Interest. I guess the show wasn't so sci-fi, but more predictive.

Karasu

(2,003 posts)
19. Oh, I've known of them. Unfortunately, however, most have NO idea...and not nearly enough attention has been paid to
Mon May 26, 2025, 12:13 PM
May 2025

them in recent years. Hell, the media in this country pretends they don't fucking exist.

Glaisne

(618 posts)
21. And who is anomalist, different and a potential threat?
Mon May 26, 2025, 12:23 PM
May 2025

Anyone who is not white, male, christian nationalist, fascist, rich, and connected. And even then still not above suspicion. In other words almost everyone except a select few.

lonely bird

(2,710 posts)
25. Well, yes and no
Mon May 26, 2025, 12:34 PM
May 2025

The anomalies will be those who don’t subscribe to the Techbros idea of utopia. The White, Christian Nationalists, fascists et al will be useful fellow travelers…until they are not.

The two tier society is being cemented into place.

The Techbros and fellow traveler wealth will need service and diversions. A small percentage of people will supply that. There will be a rank that falls between the tiers. That will be middle management which will handle the underlying infrastructure of said society. Everyone else will be below.

highplainsdem

(59,639 posts)
26. Yes. I've posted a few threads about them the last couple of years:
Mon May 26, 2025, 12:35 PM
May 2025

Palantir's Plan for AI: 'Just Take the Whole Market' (including for military weapons)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217901033

Palantir's CEO uses NYT op-ed to take a swipe at "coastal elites" not eager to work on AI weapons
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218118031

Palantir Is Helping DOGE With a Massive IRS Data Project
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143438974

ICE Just Paid Palantir Tens of Millions for 'Complete Target Analysis of Known Populations'
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143441857

And I've posted several threads on Palantir cofounder and chairman Peter Thiel's craziness and racism.

multigraincracker

(36,844 posts)
27. When McKINSEY COMES TO TOWN..Another one that will blow your mind.
Mon May 26, 2025, 12:37 PM
May 2025

The hidden influence of the world's most powerful consulting firm..Even some of our favorite Dems worked for them and signed NDAs so they can't talk about it.
Highly recommend it too.

Martin Eden

(15,315 posts)
29. Palantir was a seeing stone in Lord of the Rings
Mon May 26, 2025, 01:07 PM
May 2025

These spheres allowed the users to see things and communicate at great distances.

Aptly named.

dlk

(13,096 posts)
30. Sounds related to "The Entity," in the latest Mission Impossible film
Mon May 26, 2025, 01:12 PM
May 2025

Eerie, to be sure.

GiqueCee

(3,309 posts)
41. I hate...
Mon May 26, 2025, 04:58 PM
May 2025

... that they stole their name from J.J.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, but it's appropriate that it was a tool of Sauron's bottomless evil. Unfortunately, this time the evil is real, not fantasy.

soldierant

(9,254 posts)
47. It was not created as a tool for Sauron's evil
Tue May 27, 2025, 03:18 AM
May 2025

but was, like everything else Sauron touched, corrupted by him. (Gee, who have I heard that about recently?)

I learned about them a couple of weeks ago, and my first thought was that if I were Christopher Tolkien I would be doing my best to sue the pants off them for contaminating my father's legacy.

CaptainTruth

(8,026 posts)
45. I saw the post & thought "Palantir."
Mon May 26, 2025, 07:24 PM
May 2025

I've been watching them for a while.

With Trump in office their stock is up 64% year to date. It's been an attractive investment but I've refused to buy any because I don't like what they do.

Damn shame, Trump has been hard on my IRA.

EuterpeThelo

(162 posts)
46. I remember
Mon May 26, 2025, 08:41 PM
May 2025

shaming one of the attorneys I worked with a couple of years ago when he went over there. Been aware of them since at least 2019.

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