Phrases like ‘predictive policing’ are in the German press following an announcement that Baden-Württemberg will adopt a controversial surveillance software. So what is US firm Palantir offering and how will it change policing in Germany?
The German government and police forces see Palantir’s Gotham software as a powerful tool to combat serious crime and terrorism more effectively.
Palantir is a data analytics and software company which develops platforms for analyzing large datasets for governments, intelligence agencies, the military, and commercial companies.
Officials from Germany’s interior ministry argue that Gotham can play a crucial role in modernizing and achieving technological autonomy for German police forces, allowing officers to concentrate on their primary responsibilities by minimizing the time spent cross-referencing disconnected databases
At the same time, civil rights groups like the Society for Civil Liberties (GFF) and the Chaos Computer Club (CCC) have warned that adoption of the software could lead to “dragnet surveillance”, a loss of transparency, and police dependence on a foreign company.
What does Gotham actually do?
Gotham is a large data analytics platform which integrates previously disparate police databases.
In other words, it gives police or security authorities access to a vast amount of data.
Within seconds, it enables officers to find extensive information about individuals – not just names, address, and criminal records, but also social media content or mobile device data. In theory, these comprehensive profiles can reveal hidden connections between suspects and incidents, aiding in the prevention and investigation of crimes.
Why is everyone talking about it now?
The recent flurry of headlines in the German press were partly sparked when Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, of the conservative CDU, suggested that he was open to expanding Palantir’s use by federal police and criminal investigation agencies (in a notable shift from his predecessor’s position).
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But much of the global attention is a result of the company’s record-breaking Q2 2025 revenue announcement. Driven by soaring demand for AI technologies globally, the company posted revenues of more than a billion dollars in just three months.
Which police forces in Germany already use Gotham?
Three German federal states actively use Gotham: Bavaria (since 2024), Hesse (since 2017), and North Rhine-Westphalia (2019/20).
After lengthy political disputes, Baden-Württemberg plans to adopt the software soon, pending amendments to the Police Act and with parliamentary oversight. Their contract is reported to be around €25 million for five years.
Is the investment justified?
Twenty-five million euros is a lot of money for just one state’s police budget.
While detailed financial information from other states remains confidential, licensing fees and ongoing maintenance suggest substantial expenses. Though comprehensive performance data is scarce due to privacy concerns, Gotham reportedly played a key role in swiftly resolving a 2024 attack in Munich by effectively mapping suspects’ movements.
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What other concerns exist about the software?
Civil rights groups, notably the Chaos Computer Club (CCC), raise serious concerns regarding privacy and constitutional rights.
Spokesperson Constanze Kurz has called Gotham a form of “dragnet investigation” which risks sweeping in vast numbers of innocent people alongside suspects, violating the German legal principle of data processing for specific purposes (Zweckbindung).
Kurz and legal organizations like the Society for Civil Liberties (GFF) also criticise Palantir’s proprietary software for its lack of transparency and the potential for misuse or the expansion of surveillance beyond legal norms.
According to current law, police in Bavaria can employ Gotham without any suspicion of wrongdoing, meaning that anyone filing a complaint or merely present at the scene of a crime can become subject to data scrutiny.
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“Anyone who files a complaint, or who is a victim of a crime, or even just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time can attract police attention via this software,” according to GFF lawyer Franziska Görlitz.
The GFF has filed a constitutional complaint against the large-scale data analysis in Bavaria on the basis that it breaches the fundamental right to informational self-determination and the confidentiality of telecommunications, which is guaranteed in the German constitution.
Are there additional concerns specific to Palantir as a company?
Palantir is tightly linked to US military and intelligence agencies, with founder Peter Thiel, a controversial figure known for authoritarian leanings, deeply involved.
Kurz describes Palantir as the “AI arms dealer of the 21st century,” warning German authorities of the geopolitical and legal risks in handing sensitive police data to a US company subject to conflicting foreign laws and interests.
In an interview with the Weizenbaum Institute, she raised concerns about digital sovereignty, potential data transfers to the US, and insufficient democratic control over surveillance technologies.
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Palantir is named after the “seeing stones” in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Gotham prompts images of Batman and the company’s apparent determination to make itself indispensable to multiple armed forces and law enforcement agencies in multiple countries has prompted comparisons with Skynet in the Terminator films.
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Despite these touches of fantasy, however, Palantir is a very real company. Given its military origins (in Afghanistan in 2003), and its CEO Alex Karp’s open acknowledgment of his company’s role in helping “kill bad guys faster,” the line it seeks to walk between enhanced security and invasive control raises numerous ethical and constitutional questions.
In 2009, six years after founding Palantir, Peter Thiel published an essay (The Education of a Libertarian) in which he wrote: “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.”
What happens next?
Currently, Palantir shows no signs of slowing its expansion. The company experienced a 340 percent increase in valuation in 2024, supported by long-term contracts with numerous police and military organizations worldwide.
In the United States, its Gotham software is employed by agencies including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, NSA, and multiple military branches for tasks ranging from counterterrorism and intelligence analysis to fraud investigations.
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In Europe, besides Germany, Gotham supports Europol, Norwegian Customs, and Denmark’s predictive policing platform POL-INTEL. Beyond Europe, the software is used by Ukraine to improve military targeting and document war crimes during the Russian war of aggression.
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