The Palantir Mafia is changing the business of war and surveillance

Palantir has become one of the most recognizable technology companies working with the U.S.(new window) government. Its software is used by military and intelligence organizations, while its work with law enforcement and immigration agencies has made it a focus of privacy and civil liberties debates around government surveillance. Speaking broadly, Palantir’s software(new window) helps organizations connect and make sense of large amounts of existing data. That capability can be useful for businesses and governments alike, but its applications become more consequential when the data involves military operations, policing, or immigration enforcement. Palantir’s influence extends beyond the company itself. A growing group of defense and surveillance startups has emerged from the same network of former Palantir employees, investors, and executives. Some build weapons. Others build the software that connects sensors, drones, databases, and people. Several work directly with Palantir or with the same large defense contractors that have supplied the U.S. military for decades. You could call this network the “Palantir Mafia,” borrowing the language once used for the PayPal alumni who went on to reshape Silicon Valley. Within it is…