Today, Explained Palantir has your info
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Jun 12, 2025 
Joseph Cox, co-founder of 404 Media and host of the 404 Media podcast, joins John Davison from EPIC to discuss the troubling partnership between Palantir and the U.S. government. They dive into the ethical implications of merging personal data across agencies, highlighting risks for marginalized groups. The conversation explores how data collected could be abused and what this means for privacy rights. With humor interwoven, they unravel the complexities of government surveillance and the technology that enables it.
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Risks of Data Centralization
- The U.S. government traditionally siloed personal data to protect privacy but now is moving to consolidate it, raising serious privacy concerns.
- Aggregating data empowers whoever controls it, enabling surveillance, targeting, and potential abuse beyond intended purposes.
IRS Data Shared for Immigration Enforcement
- John Davison described how the IRS shares taxpayers' data, including non-citizens, with Homeland Security for immigration enforcement.
- Career IRS employees opposed this due to strong privacy traditions, but a legal memo still permitted some data sharing against taxpayers' interests.
Privacy Act Origins and Modern Challenges
- The U.S. history of privacy concerns led to the 1974 Privacy Act limiting government data collection and sharing across agencies.
- Current efforts to consolidate data revive fears Congress sought to prevent decades ago with privacy safeguards.