Internal Slack messages and employee interviews from Palantir reveal growing turmoil within the company regarding its contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Defense. Employees have expressed concerns that the company's work, particularly in a second Trump administration, is enabling human rights abuses and represents a "descent into fascism."
The dissent intensified following specific events, including Palantir's role in military operations and immigrant surveillance, and the publication of a company "manifesto" that critics have labeled as fascist. This has led to an identity crisis among staff who joined believing Palantir's mission was to protect civil liberties, not enable state coercion. In response to the growing internal debate and potential for leaks, the company reportedly began wiping some Slack channel histories.