U.S. State Department partners with Palantir and Anduril for digital freedom program

The U.S. State Department has launched the Freedom Tech Excellence Program (FTEP), a public-private partnership designed to advance digital rights and freedom of expression. The initiative involves embedding employees from private-sector partner organizations into the State Department for limited-term assignments to work alongside diplomats and officials.

Founding partners include Palantir Technologies, Anduril Industries, the Bitcoin Policy Institute, and the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. The program’s priority areas encompass protecting online free expression, countering unlawful digital surveillance and scams, promoting privacy-enhancing technologies, ensuring responsible AI governance, and improving online user safety.

The selection of partners has drawn scrutiny from experts. Both Palantir and Anduril are recognized for their work in data analytics, mass surveillance, and autonomous defense systems. Critics have questioned the suitability of companies with such backgrounds for an initiative focused on digital freedoms and privacy.