Police Force Explores Various Software Solutions from Analysis Firms
The Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) is currently reviewing the potential use of Palantir's analytics software for the police, as reported by various sources. This evaluation process is ongoing and technology-neutral, meaning that the ministry is considering various options for new analytics software.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) is examining the nationwide use of Palantir's software, a US-based company, while also endorsing the general use of such security tools. Reports indicate that Palantir's software has already been deployed at the state level in Bavaria, Hesse, and North Rhine-Westphalia.
The evaluation process is based on professional and content-related requirements, and the software offered by Palantir Technologies GmbH was the only one that met the high defined requirements in the Europe-wide procurement procedure conducted by the Bavarian State Criminal Office with the involvement of the BMI.
However, the use of Palantir's analytics software is a subject of controversy, as shown in the "Stern" report, with warnings coming from politics and civil society. The ministry has dismissed reports that it is exclusively testing Palantir software for nationwide police use.
The evaluation process considers the framework conditions set by the Interior Ministers' Conference (IMK). The ministry has stated that there is no prior product determination in the evaluation process, indicating that other vendors may also be under consideration.
The review of Palantir's software by the BMI is part of a wider policy context of expanding digital security tools for law enforcement and border/security measures under Minister Dobrindt. This broader interest and evaluation of analytics/AI tools for police and security use are not limited to Palantir, but the ministry has not yet released a comprehensive public list of other specific analytics products it is formally evaluating nationwide.
The ongoing evaluation process and the public debate about police use of analytics and surveillance software are influenced by independent and civil-society pushback, including constitutional complaints and court rulings on police surveillance tools in Germany. This scrutiny has encouraged ministries and agencies to examine the legal and technical implications of such tools beyond any single vendor.
The statements made by the ministry's spokesperson regarding the evaluation process were made on Thursday.
Data-and-cloud-computing technology plays a significant role in the ongoing evaluation process of Palantir's analytics software by the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI). This evaluation is not exclusive to Palantir, as the ministry is considering various options for new analytics software, with the legal and technical implications of such tools being under close scrutiny.
