Alex Karp Insists Palantir Doesn't Spy on Americans. Here's What He's Not Saying

By Sam Biddle
The Intercept
September 12, 2025

Palantir CEO Alex Karp recently defended his company against surveillance concerns during an appearance on the "All-In Podcast," claiming the firm is "the single worst technology to use to abuse civil liberties." However, The Intercept's investigation reveals significant contradictions between his statements and documented history.

KEY CLAIMS VS. REALITY

Karp asserted that Palantir "could never get the NSA or the FBI to actually buy our product," yet Edward Snowden's classified documents—published by The Intercept in 2017—demonstrate Palantir software was integral to NSA global surveillance operations.

The technology worked with XKEYSCORE, allowing the NSA and international partners to search massive volumes of intercepted communications, including emails, messages, and webcam footage.

THE DOCUMENTATION GAP

According to declassified materials, Palantir tools were specifically referenced in NSA internal systems. A British intelligence document noted that Palantir's capabilities were "developed through iterative collaboration between Palantir computer scientists and analysts from various intelligence agencies over nearly three years."

THE AMERICAN DATA QUESTION

Karp carefully stated: "we are not surveilling...U.S. citizens." This distinction matters legally but offers limited practical protection. Even without deliberately targeting Americans, the NSA's global surveillance inevitably captures U.S. citizen communications, which can subsequently be shared with domestic agencies like the FBI under Section 702 of FISA.

A 2014 Guardian report documented that intelligence agencies "do not have the technical means to make sure no images of UK or US citizens are collected."

OFFICIAL CONCERNS

The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board's 2021 investigation concluded that NSA analysis of XKEYSCORE "lacks any consideration of recent relevant Fourth Amendment case law."

Palantir declined to comment when asked about the discrepancies between executive statements and documented surveillance work.
