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Which government agencies have partnered with Palantir for Digital ID-based surveillance?
Executive Summary
Palantir has active, documented partnerships with U.S. federal agencies that enable identity and biometric data integration—notably U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—while Palantir has publicly distanced itself from the UK government’s Digital ID scheme and said it will not bid on that program. Available records show ongoing U.S. contracts and task orders for systems that connect to federal identity databases, but public reporting does not support a broad, confirmed list of other national governments using Palantir specifically for Digital ID-based surveillance outside the United States.
1. The bold claim: "Palantir partners with governments for Digital ID-based surveillance" — what the record actually says
Reporting and contract notices converge on a narrower, verifiable claim: Palantir supplies software that integrates identity and biometric databases for U.S. enforcement agencies, particularly ICE, which uses ImmigrationOS and related tools to link records for investigations and removals [1] [2]. Academic and investigative pieces describe Palantir’s platforms as central to mapping and analyzing identity-linked datasets used by multiple U.S. agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, but these sources frame the relationship as data integration and investigative case management rather than a single global “Digital ID” product [3]. The evidence supports targeted, agency-level deployments rather than an international Digital ID rollout directed by Palantir.
2. ICE is the clearest, most recent example of Digital ID-style capability in U.S. hands
In mid-to-late 2025, multiple notices and reports document ICE moving forward with Palantir for systems that require integration with federal identity and biometric databases. A June 2025 notice flagged a sole-source intent to award Palantir an Investigative Case Management contract requiring links to identity systems [1]. Subsequent reporting and task orders confirm continued support for ImmigrationOS, which aggregates personal, biometric, and commercial data to drive enforcement workflows—functionally creating a biometric and identity-driven surveillance capability used operationally by ICE [4] [2]. Civil liberties groups and watchdogs have labeled these functions as Digital ID-style surveillance because they centralize identifiers and movement patterns in enforcement contexts [5].
3. Other U.S. agencies are documented Palantir customers, but the “Digital ID” label needs precision
Palantir has long-standing relationships with entities such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, where its platforms are used to analyze and fuse datasets that include identity and biometric elements [3]. Those deployments are often described in public reporting as mapping national data and aiding operations, but that reporting does not always equate those uses with a government-run Digital ID system like a national identity registry with civilian authentication functions. The distinction matters: Palantir’s tools can underpin Digital ID-style surveillance when configured to ingest identity databases, but not every Palantir contract equates to a Digital ID partnership [3].
4. The UK case: Palantir explicitly opting out of the government’s Digital ID scheme
Separate coverage in October 2025 reports Palantir publicly ruled out bidding on the UK government’s proposed Digital ID program, citing concerns about public mandate and potential misuse; the company indicated it will not partner on that national scheme [6] [7]. Those statements show Palantir distinguishing between commercial and government solicitations, at least in the UK context, and underscore that absence of a contract is not proof of absence of capability. The UK decision demonstrates that corporate choices, political resistance, and public debate shape whether Palantir becomes involved in national Digital ID programs [6] [7].
5. What remains unclear and where reporting diverges—gaps that matter
Public sources provide solid evidence for ICE’s use of Palantir in identity-linked enforcement systems, and for Palantir’s relationships with DHS and DoD in data-fusion roles; however, there is limited open-source confirmation of an exhaustive list of governments partnering with Palantir specifically for national Digital ID programs. Some analyses conflate Palantir’s investigative case management and immigration systems with a formal Digital ID architecture, while others emphasize operational differences between surveillance-enabled enforcement tools and civil identity schemes [8] [3]. The divergence stems from definitional differences and the opacity of many procurement and integration details, leaving room for further, targeted FOIA-style inquiries or contract disclosures to clarify scope [1] [2].
6. Bottom line and implications for oversight and public debate
The factual core is straightforward: ICE is the clearest documented U.S. partner using Palantir systems that draw on identity and biometric databases, and Palantir continues to supply tools across DHS and DoD contexts; Palantir has explicitly opted out of the UK’s Digital ID procurement. Oversight questions therefore center on contract terms, data-sharing authorizations, and safeguards against misuse rather than on a single global Palantir-run Digital ID program. Addressing these concerns requires transparency in procurement records and clearer public definitions of what constitutes “Digital ID-based surveillance” so policymakers and civil society can evaluate specific agency partnerships and technical capabilities [1] [6] [5].