How Two Billionaires Quietly Built the Most Powerful Surveillance Infrastructure in America — And Why Nobody’s Stopping Them

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #346

First, I’d like to thank my son for doing the legwork on this article. As obvious as it appears from the outside, the relationship between Musk, Thiel, DOGE, and Palantir is complex and requires looking at several different sources and from more than one perspective. He provided that for me, which saved me a lot of time and allowed me to write another article while he was doing so. (And…he’s about 50X more tech savvy than I am.)

The New Data Empire

In an era where digital infrastructure increasingly defines the boundaries of government power, two names—Elon Muskand Peter Thiel—have emerged as central architects of a rapidly evolving system.

Together, through Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Thiel’s data analytics giant Palantir…they are reshaping how data is centralized…analyzed…and potentially weaponized.

The implications for civil liberties…privacy…and political power in the United States are profound.

Publicly, these efforts are framed as a means to improve government efficiency… reduce fraud…and modernize federal infrastructure.

But beneath the surface lies a complex web of contracts…shared personnel…ideological alignment…and legal gray zones—raising serious questions about who really controls the data of tens of millions of Americans and what it could be used for.

Palantir’s Role: Processor or Power Player?

Palantir Technologies claims it is merely a data processor…not a controller. The company insists that it doesn’t collect data directly…nor does it surveil Americans unlawfully. (Remember, this is what Palantir claims.)

Instead, Palantir offers software platforms—Foundry and Gotham—that enable its clients…primarily government agencies…to analyze and visualize vast datasets.

In response to a June 2025 New York Times article, the company stated: “Palantir never collects data to unlawfully surveil Americans, and our Foundry platform employs granular security protections.”

According to Palantir…the government agencies themselves maintain control over what data is uploaded and how it’s used.

Yet this distinction—between processing and controlling—is not so clear-cut in practice.

Critics argue that the sheer scale and capability of Palantir’s platforms allow government clients to compile detailed personal profiles of U.S. citizens.

These include sensitive financial…health…and immigration information—all stored and analyzed under a single…unifying lens.

Enter DOGE: Musk’s Government Makeover

The creation of DOGE under a second Trump administration was framed as a way to “eliminate information silos” across federal agencies. (And millions of us called “Bullshit!” when they used that framing.)

The initiative—led in part by Musk and his network of engineers—aims to create a more seamless digital backbone for government operations.

Key DOGE projects include:

• IRS “Mega API” Project: Palantir is collaborating with DOGE to centralize all IRS data through a single interface. This would give select personnel unprecedented access to taxpayer records—including Social Security numbers… income history…and financial accounts.

• Immigration Enforcement Database: A joint DOGE–Palantir initiative aims to integrate real-time data from ICE, the SSA, and DHS to track migrant movements. While framed as “enforcement efficiency”…privacy advocates argue it could become a de facto surveillance tool on both citizens and noncitizens.

These developments raise a critical question: If Palantir builds the infrastructure, and DOGE defines the data priorities, who ensures ethical boundaries aren’t crossed?

DOGE’s influence extends beyond just technical upgrades—it reflects a broader ideological shift in how government should function. Musk’s vision of efficiency often includes bypassing traditional gatekeepers and regulatory protocols, accelerating a culture of disruption inside federal systems.

Under DOGE, initiatives that once required congressional debate or public oversight are increasingly executed through executive orders and backchannel contracts.

Critics argue that this creates a parallel form of governance…where tech-driven “efficiency” becomes a Trojan horse for centralized control.

The Thiel Connection: Ideology Meets Infrastructure

Peter Thiel, Palantir’s co-founder and an early investor in Facebook…has long promoted a libertarian…anti-regulation worldview.

In a 2009 essay for the Cato Institute, Thiel expressed skepticism about democracy’s compatibility with technological progress.

Today…his influence is deeply embedded in DOGE’s digital architecture.

Numerous DOGE operatives and appointees have ties to Palantir or Thiel’s network:

• Gregory Barbaccia, Palantir’s former head of intelligence, is now the federal CIO at the Office of Management and Budget.

• Clark Minor, a longtime Palantir engineer, is now CTO at the Department of Health and Human Services.

• Anthony Jancso and Akash Bobba, both former Palantir employees, hold recruitment and data roles in DOGE.

This isn’t just a personnel pipeline—it’s a value system…shaping how federal data will be used.

When data is centralized under infrastructure built by ideologically driven private firms, even “lawful” use becomes a matter of trust.

What makes this particularly dangerous is the alignment of technology and ideology. Thiel has openly criticized egalitarianism and democratic consensus-building…which he sees as impediments to progress.

When such views are woven into the digital scaffolding of government systems…decisions about data access…use…and oversight risk being guided less by democratic principles and more by techno-libertarian ideologies that prioritize control…efficiency…and disruption—often at the expense of privacy and accountability.

Risks and Warnings: What Critics Fear

While Palantir defends its role as legal and essential to national security, critics point to a range of unsettling possibilities:

• Mass Profiling: AI-powered platforms could combine IRS…health…education… and criminal data into “dossiers” that allow predictive targeting based on behavior…ethnicity…or political affiliation.

• Mission Creep: Data collected for tax enforcement or public health could be repurposed for immigration enforcement…political vetting…or suppressing dissent.

• Authoritarian Drift: Privacy advocates warn that Palantir’s platforms…in the wrong hands…mirror the infrastructure of surveillance states like China’s social credit system.

These aren’t just theoretical concerns.

Thirteen former Palantir employees published an open letter in 2025 opposing the company’s expanded role in the Trump administration.

Former engineer Linda Xia warned that “data collected for one purpose will inevitably be used for another.”

Secrecy and Speculation

A major source of public anxiety is the opacity surrounding Palantir’s contracts and DOGE’s operations. Key elements are shielded by national security exemptions or classified budgets.

Meanwhile, posts on X and various leaks allege:

• Ties between Palantir and NSA’s XKeyscore program.

• Use of Palantir tools in predictive policing and racial profiling.

• No-bid contracts awarded to Palantir…bypassing standard procurement rules.

While some of these claims remain unverified…the lack of transparency breeds mistrust.

Even critics from the far-right—like Nick Fuentes—have labeled DOGE’s database ambitions “deep state overreach.”

What Comes Next?

Here’s what we know:

Palantir is not directly “spying” on Americans in the way that we might imagine. But:

It is enabling a system in which massive…sensitive data sets can be cross-referenced…analyzed…and potentially misused by those in power.

DOGE’s goals may be framed as administrative efficiency, but the infrastructure being built is ripe for abuse.

As whistleblower Linda Xia warned, “It’s not just what the data does—it’s what it enables when no one’s looking.”

When agencies quietly reassign the purpose of data collection without transparency or public input…the checks and balances that protect civil society begin to unravel.

Former Palantir engineer Joshua Pinto added, “We’re watching the infrastructure for control being built in real time. Not as a conspiracy—but as a convenience.”

In the hands of a populist regime or ideologically aligned leadership…this infrastructure could easily be turned into a mechanism for political targeting or social manipulation.

And perhaps most chilling, as Nick Fuentes—a staunch Trump ally—put it, “What they’re building isn’t just tech. It’s a digital cage—and they think we’ll be grateful for it.”

If our institutions continue looking the other way…by the time the danger becomes visible to everyone…the trap will already be closed.

DOGE’s goals may be framed as administrative efficiency…but the infrastructure being built is ripe for abuse.

With Peter Thiel’s ideological fingerprints and Elon Musk’s disruptive ambitions all over these efforts…it’s clear we’re witnessing the formation of a new kind of data empire—one where public oversight is minimal…and private influence is immense.

The stakes? Nothing less than the boundary between democracy and data-driven control.

We. Have. A. Lot. Of. Work. To. Do.

Have a good evening. I’ll be back soon.

Warmly,

Jack

Sources:

American Civil Liberties Union. (2025). Palantir and the risks of centralized government surveillance. Retrieved from https://www.aclu.org/issues/privacy-technology

Cato Institute. (2009). The Education of a Libertarian by Peter Thiel. Cato Unbound.

https://www.cato-unbound.org

CNN Politics. (2025, April). DOGE’s immigration database effort raises privacy alarms. CNN. Retrieved from

https://www.cnn.com

Fuentes, N. (2025). X posts criticizing DOGE surveillance initiatives. X (formerly Twitter).

https://x.com

New York Times. (2025, June). Inside Palantir’s expanding federal contracts under Trump. The New York Times. Retrieved from

https://www.nytimes.com

Office of Management and Budget. (2025). Appointments and digital modernization directives. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb

Palantir Technologies. (2025, June). Statement on data collection and NYT article. Retrieved from https://www.palantir.com/press

Snowden, E. (2013). NSA’s XKeyscore revelations. The Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com

Thiel, P. (2009). The Education of a Libertarian. Cato Unbound.

https://www.cato-unbound.org

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2025). Press release on Palantir contract deployments. hhs.gov.

https://www.hhs.gov

United States Government Accountability Office. (2025). Review of DOGE-led data integration efforts and federal procurement processes. Retrieved from

https://www.gao.gov

Xia, L. (2025). Open letter by former Palantir employees. Medium.

https://medium.com