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European agencies are increasingly turning away from US tech companies in order to decrease dependence on the US.
When governments hunt down threats, the digital tools they use matter.
They hold the most sensitive secrets.
Now, one of Europe’s biggest countries is officially dropping an American tech giant to keep its data close to home.
A European shift
The German domestic intelligence service, known as the BfV, selected a French company for its data analysis needs, locking the American giant Palantir out of a strategic market, Deutsche Welle, L’Indépendant, and OpexNews report.
A joint investigative report published by the Süddeutsche Zeitung, WDR, and NDR revealed the specific software choice. The BfV selected a platform called ArgonOS, built by ChapsVision, a fast-growing European security company.
ArgonOS uses artificial intelligence to sort through 300 different data sources. It processes that information inside a secure environment, ensuring the intelligence remains firmly on European soil.
Officials conducted strict tests on the system first. They used it to track spies and stop terror plots before signing the deal.
Shaking off the past
This pivot away from American suppliers is not accidental. Lingering memories of the Snowden leaks have made German leaders extremely cautious about foreign technology.
The defense sector shares those same concerns. According to OpexNews, the German military recently excluded Palantir from its own software bidding process.
Palantir carries significant political baggage. Its founder, Peter Thiel, maintains close ties to Donald Trump’s inner circle.
The company has also faced serious legal setbacks. In 2023, Germany’s highest court struck down state laws that allowed local police to run automated data searches without strict privacy safeguards.
Trading sharp words
That ruling directly disrupted a policing tool built using Palantir technology. The backlash frustrated the company’s leadership team.
CEO Alex Karp publicly fired back at his critics. He bluntly compared the intense German debate surrounding his company to “conversations about witchcraft.”
While Palantir struggles in Germany, ChapsVision continues to expand. The French tech group recently acquired the search company Sinequa, securing an €85 million funding round to expand its software capabilities.
The French connection
France remains reluctant to fully move away from the American company. The country publicly wants to replace Palantir, but its actions suggest a more complicated reality.
In late 2025, the French domestic intelligence agency renewed its Palantir contract for three more years. That quiet move extended a partnership that originally began in 2016.
French leaders claim they retained the software because local alternatives are simply not ready yet. They insist all sensitive data remains stored on isolated servers inside France.
Sources: Süddeutsche Zeitung, WDR, NDR, OpexNews, L’Indépendant
