Palantir: What is the US-based AI surveillance system used by German police?

German police already use Palantir's "Gotham" surveillance in three federal states, a fourth will roll it out soon, and it could be used nationwide. What is the US-based AI surveillance system, and how does it work?

Dobrindt considers adopting Palantir across Germany

Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) is currently considering whether German police should use the “Gotham” AI surveillance system in all federal states.

The surveillance system, developed by Palantir, has been used since 2024 by the police in Bavaria (where it is known as VeRA), since 2019/20 in North Rhine-Westphalia (known as DAR), and since 2017 in Hesse (known as Hessendata). At the end of July 2025, authorities also approved use in Baden-Württemberg.

Initially backed by the CIA, Palantir was founded in 2003 by American-German billionaire Peter Thiel and businessman Alex Karp, the former known for his anti-democratic politics and support for Donald Trump. At least 10 members of the current Trump administration are known to own shares in the company.

How does Palantir surveillance work?

Palantir uses huge amounts of data to instantly bring together a profile on anyone the German police are interested in knowing more about. This profile includes names, addresses, fines, criminal records, registered mobile phones and social media accounts. 

These are methods used in “predictive policing”, which, according to Reuters, “analyses large amounts of data to help anticipate and prevent future crime” and “uses statistical predictions and algorithms to identify crime hot spots and individuals who are at high risk of committing or becoming victims of crimes”. 

According to multiple media reports, Bavarian police can not only use the Gotham system to gather information about suspects, but also anyone they are curious to know more about.

In the US, Palantir has been working with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since 2010 and in April 2025, was awarded a 30-million-dollar contract to develop an operating system to identify undocumented migrants and track self-deportations.

What are the criticisms of Palantir?

German civil rights organisations, namely Chaos Computer Club (CCC) and the Society for Civil Liberties (GFF), have staunchly criticised the adoption of Gotham in Germany. The GFF argues that “extensive data analysis violates, among other things, the fundamental right to informational self-determination and telecommunications secrecy”. 

The two organisations have now filed a complaint against Bavarian police at Germany’s constitutional court in Karlsruhe. With the complaint, the GGF aims to “set clear limits for the authorities when using data mining software”. 

Information about how Palantir’s algorithms work is not public, and the GGF also points out that algorithms can have discriminatory effects. For example, facial recognition software is less accurate when identifying women and people with darker skin.

“Palantir is not a neutral IT service provider, but a company with deep connections to the US secret service and clear geopolitical interests,” Johannes Schätzl (SPD) told Stern. According to a report by ntv, the US company was given access to information collected by the Bavarian police.

While a Greens-CDU coalition recently approved the use of Palantir in Baden-Württemberg, Greens Bundestag member Konstantin von Notz agreed that a nationwide adoption should be “out of the question [...] especially in these times when the US government is becoming increasingly unreliable”.