Palantir and AWS Formalize Strategic Partnership for Government Data Analytics

Palantir Technologies and Amazon Web Services announce a formal strategic partnership to optimize Palantir’s Foundry and Gotham platforms for deployment on AWS cloud infrastructure, integrating two of the most powerful surveillance and data analytics systems used by U.S. intelligence and defense agencies. The partnership combines Amazon’s cloud infrastructure dominance with Palantir’s specialized surveillance analytics capabilities, creating an integrated ecosystem for government data mining and intelligence operations.

Under this partnership, Palantir’s platforms—including Foundry for commercial and government analytics and Gotham for defense and intelligence operations—are optimized to run on AWS services including Amazon S3 (storage), Amazon EC2 (computing), and AWS Key Management Service (encryption). The integration allows government agencies already using AWS’s Secret and Top Secret cloud regions to seamlessly deploy Palantir’s analytics tools for classified operations. Palantir Gotham is specifically authorized for Mission Critical National Security Systems (IL5 and IL6) by the U.S. Department of Defense, enabling its deployment across the most sensitive military and intelligence applications.

The partnership directly benefits U.S. intelligence and defense agencies by providing an integrated cloud analytics platform that combines AWS’s infrastructure (already serving the CIA and 17 intelligence agencies through the C2S contract) with Palantir’s powerful data mining and predictive analytics capabilities. Government agencies can access Palantir’s platforms through the AWS Marketplace, streamlining procurement and creating deeper vendor dependencies.

In June 2021, Palantir receives the AWS Global Public Sector Partner Award for its COVID-19 response work, further cementing the relationship. The partnership exemplifies the growing integration of government surveillance infrastructure with commercial cloud providers, creating a consolidated ecosystem where a handful of corporations control both the infrastructure and analytics tools for intelligence operations.

This integration raises profound concerns about the concentration of government surveillance capabilities in the hands of two closely allied private corporations. The combination of AWS’s infrastructure monopoly across intelligence agencies with Palantir’s surveillance analytics creates unprecedented corporate control over intelligence community operations. The partnership facilitates seamless data mining across government databases, potentially enabling mass surveillance capabilities without adequate oversight. The commercial incentives of both companies may conflict with privacy protections and civil liberties, while the deep integration creates significant barriers to government accountability and transparency regarding surveillance programs.