Swiss armed forces rejected Palantir five times

Switzerland’s armed forces considered working with Palantir on five occasions and rejected the proposals each time, SRF reported, citing an investigation by online magazine Republik and investigative collective WAV.

Concerns about control over confidential data were decisive in three of the five cases, according to the investigation. “It was a question of sovereignty in handling confidential information,” journalist Balz Oertli, who worked on the reporting, told Italian-language broadcaster RSI.

The US technology company sells software designed to process large volumes of data, including tools to help prevent terrorist attacks and identify military targets. Its customers include governments, armed forces and intelligence services in several countries.

The joint European investigation found that Palantir had contracts worth 1.44 billion euros across Europe. Most of the company’s total revenue, around 4 billion euros, comes from the United States, the report said.

Switzerland’s defence department has not made a general decision ruling out cooperation, so Palantir can still offer its services in the country. A parliamentary initiative submitted by Green Party members seeks to ban contracts with foreign providers of such services, citing concerns about transparency and the security of confidential data.