Meet Big Brother: Palantir’s Australian expansion

Palantir is in the business of data and surveillance. It is run by key members of the “tech right”, builds the technology that has powered violent and illegal ICE raids in the US, and is accused of providing the AI-assisted autonomous weapons the Israeli military deployed on Palestinians in Gaza.

So why does the Australian Future Fund hold a $100 million stake in Palantir? And how has the company secured multimillion-dollar contracts and top security clearance from government departments and agencies?

Associate editor Cam Wilson joins the podcast to unpack his reporting on the growing Australian footprint of “the world’s most controversial SaaS company”.

READ MORE:
Revealed: Australia’s $100 million investment in controversial tech giant Palantir: https://www.crikey.com.au/2026..../01/29/palantir-inve

Defence signs biggest ever contract with Palantir for department’s ‘Cyber Warfare Division’: https://www.crikey.com.au/2026..../02/17/australian-de

‘Effectively passive’: Future Fund says it didn’t choose to buy its $100m Palantir stake: https://www.crikey.com.au/2026..../02/11/future-fund-1

From ICE to Coles: Controversial US tech company Palantir’s links to Australia spark backlash: https://www.crikey.com.au/2025..../07/08/palantir-tech

As top AUKUS official joins Palantir, ethics watchdog warns of lobbying ‘risks’: https://www.crikey.com.au/2025..../09/05/aukus-palanti

Why do right-wing figures name their companies after Lord of the Rings?: https://www.crikey.com.au/2025..../08/01/the-lord-of-t