Tech Won't Save Us Palantir is Thriving Under Trump w/ Caroline Haskins
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Sep 18, 2025 Caroline Haskins, a staff writer at Wired specializing in technology and surveillance, sheds light on Palantir's origins and operations. She discusses Palantir's influence within the U.S. government and major corporations, as well as its ties to controversial clients like ICE. Haskins brings up the company’s military-style culture and its products, Gotham and Foundry, designed to consolidate data. She also delves into the controversies surrounding Palantir, including its public posture and connections to Peter Thiel’s vision, making for a compelling deep dive into a tech giant's impact.
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Gotham Versus Foundry: Different Users
- Gotham targets government investigators by linking case files, arrests, and external sources to build searchable social webs.
- Foundry targets corporations to streamline operations and surface business insights without heavy coding.
Widespread But Invisible Corporate Reach
- Palantir customers span militaries, investigative agencies, health services, and many Fortune 500s like Heineken and General Mills.
- Its corporate footprint is hard to track publicly because it sells enterprise deployments rather than consumer products.
Policy Shifts Drive Contract Growth
- Under the current administration Palantir is expanding renewals and new contracts, including large ICE payments and IRS‑linked projects.
- Its tools can function as a "mega API" to operationally connect previously siloed government data for enforcement.
