“This is why Palantir is dangerous” — freedom advocate warns investors not to value profit over civil liberty
Palantir (PLTR) has become one of Wall Street’s standout growth stories, but civil liberties advocates warn investors not to put returns ahead of privacy and individual freedoms.
Those concerns have resurfaced amid reports that the Trump administration is directing U.S. airports to provide passenger information to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for individuals who may be subject to deportation.
In response, Jason Bassler, co-founder of The Free Thought Project, warned that such developments highlight Palantir’s role in modern surveillance infrastructure.
“This is why Palantir is dangerous,” Bassler said.
He described the company’s work as building the backbone for behavioral analytics, artificial intelligence–driven tracking, and social media data collection, all “plugged into more than 30 federal agencies through cross-domain interoperability.”
“You really think they won’t share that data?” Bassler added.
InvestorsObserver has previously documented long-standing criticisms of Palantir, which detractors have labeled an extension of the “American surveillance state.” Similar accusations have been echoed by WikiLeaks, the whistleblower organization founded by Julian Assange.
Critics also argue that Palantir has built a largely “recession-proof” business model, driven by its growing reliance on government contracts rather than commercial demand alone.
According to USASpending.gov, Palantir has been awarded billions of dollars in federal funds across at least 365 government contracts — a footprint that continues to expand alongside its market valuation.
Palantir: By the numbers
Despite ongoing civil liberties concerns and Palantir’s close ties to military and government agencies around the world, the company’s recent financial performance underscores why it has become one of the market’s most closely watched growth stories.
In its most recent quarter, Palantir reported U.S. revenue growth of 77% year-over-year and 20% quarter-over-quarter, reaching $883 million.
Revenue from U.S. government contracts climbed 52% from a year earlier to $486 million, highlighting the company’s deepening reliance on public-sector clients.
Overall, Palantir posted total revenue of $1.181 billion, representing 63% growth, and closed a record $2.76 billion in total contract value during the quarter.
On the bottom line, the company reported adjusted earnings of $0.21 per share.
Palantir’s stock has surged sharply this year, rising 156%, which has pushed its market capitalization to around $460 billion.
That rally, however, has also brought back valuation concerns, with the company now trading at approximately 450 times trailing-twelve-month earnings.
That's a price-to-earnings ratio that implies investors are paying $450 for every $1 of profit, leaving little margin for disappointment if growth slows.