An explosive story regarding the Trump administration’s collaboration with Palantir, which could result in the creation of a master database containing data on every American, was released by the New York Times last month. If such a “master list” was created, the Times claims, it would grant the president “untold surveillance power.”
President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this year allowing the federal government to exchange data on Americans among multiple organisations. However, we now have a better idea of how the administration plans to accomplish this. Trump has hired Palantir, a software startup co-founded by Trump and Republican megadonor Peter Thiel, to carry out these initiatives.
According to the New York Times, Palantir’s technology would allow for the compilation of sensitive information from agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Internal Revenue Service. Various government databases already have information on Americans’ bank account numbers, medical claims, disabilities, student loan levels, and other details, though not in one location.