Palantir Technologies, under increasing scrutiny due to its associations with the Trump administration, adopted a defensive posture towards media representatives at a recent defense conference in Washington, DC. Tensions escalated when a Palantir employee threatened to involve the police on a WIRED journalist merely observing software demonstrations at the company’s booth during the AI+ Expo.
The event, organized by the Special Competitive Studies Project—which was founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt—was open to journalists and the public alike. However, as Palantir faced backlash over a recent New York Times article alleging its data collaboration with the Trump administration, the company sought to limit journalist access. On the same day, security personnel expelled several other journalists, including Jack Poulson from All-Source Intelligence, Max Blumenthal from The Grayzone, and Jessica Le Masurier from France 24, though they were eventually allowed back in after speaking with sympathetic security staff.
Prior to their removal, these journalists engaged with Palantir’s offerings, which prominently featured slogans like “REAWAKEN THE GIANT” on their booth. The escalating conflicts came soon after Palantir publicly condemned the New York Times report titled "Trump Taps Palantir to Compile Data on Americans", with Palantir usually remaining quiet on specific stories.
During an interaction that led to the removal of the journalists, Le Masurier questioned Palantir about its collaborations with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), leading to her being escorted out by a Palantir employee. Poulson noted that the response from Palantir seemed disproportionately reactive to their being present at the booth.
The heightened tensions at the conference can be partially attributed to previous disruptions, including a pro-Palestine demonstration that led to a participant’s ejection. In the wake of these events, Palantir even instituted mandatory bag checks at sessions.
In a panel discussion during the conference, Palantir’s head of strategic engagement, Eliano Younes, alluded to perceived critics of the company, stating his frustrations over those he considers to have "bad intentions." He emphasized his pride in working for an organization that aims to counter those views.
Following the day’s events, Palantir responded on social media, asserting that the New York Times article was incorrect. They contended that the company does not unlawfully surveil Americans, though the original report did not claim otherwise.
In a creative move, Palantir’s social media account even challenged critics to identify supposed inaccuracies in the article, promising an interview with CEO Alex Karp for the most notable corrections provided.
Palantir’s controversial history, including collaborations with military and immigration agencies, continues to draw scrutiny and public debate, particularly as the company navigates this turbulent period of its involvement with government data projects.
