Palantir CEO Alex Karp says France software curbs backfire

Palantir chief executive Alex Karp said French digital sovereignty restrictions, including limits on government use of US-made software, were proving counterproductive after France moved to replace Palantir at its domestic intelligence agency.

Karp spoke Wednesday to AFP on the sidelines of a G20 gathering in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. His comments followed France's recent decision to replace Palantir at the DGSI with French provider ChapsVision over data sovereignty concerns.

“These things are backfiring,” Karp said, adding that “the regulatory environment is obviously not helping Europe or France.” He said sovereignty decisions were being made by people without the technical expertise to judge them.

Karp also criticised what he described as sovereignty in name only: contracting non-US firms to deploy American or Chinese closed models. Asked about European concerns over dependence on US technology under President Donald Trump, he said there were legitimate concerns but argued that technical objections should not be treated the same as fearmongering.

Palantir said its DGSI contract remains fully in force for now. A French security source told AFP the agency would keep using the software in the meantime because it cannot afford operational disruptions while ChapsVision's tool completes development. Deployment is expected to take several months or more.

Karp said his warning was not commercially motivated, saying Palantir had a very small presence in France and was not really trying to expand there. ChapsVision, founded in 2019, reported 200 million euros ($232 million) in revenue last year, compared with Palantir's $4.5 billion.

Palantir has faced criticism in Europe from rights groups over its role in mass surveillance, facial recognition tools and work for the US government.