State Department to Partner With Palantir, Anduril on Free Speech Initiative

A State Department program that would see defense tech companies Palantir and Anduril provide expertise on digital freedom-of-speech issues is raising eyebrows among some experts—even if it’s unclear specifically what Palantir and other partners involved would actually work on. Under the Freedom Tech Excellence Program, private-sector employees would work limited-term assignments at the U.S. agency in areas including “freedom of expression protections in the digital age,” “countering unlawful digital surveillance and online scams,” “privacy-enhancing technologies,” “responsible governance of emerging technologies,” and “safeguarding children and other users online,” according to a press release. The initial partners for the project include Palantir and Anduril, as well as two other organizations: the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and the Bitcoin Policy Institute.