Germany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has defended the controversial surveillance software developed by US company Palantir, stating that its potential for crime prevention outweighs concerns about its origins.
In an interview with “Stern” magazine, Dobrindt dismissed apprehensions surrounding the software, emphasizing his focus on its effectiveness in solving and preventing criminal activity. He cited assessments from the Fraunhofer Institute which, according to him, refuted allegations of data transfer to the United States. “Therefore, I cannot understand the excitement surrounding this software” he stated.
The program, which utilizes artificial intelligence, has faced criticism due to its reported use by US immigration authorities for real-time tracking of individuals and concerns surrounding its co-founder, Peter Thiel, who is a close associate of former President Donald Trump.
The Ministry of the Interior is currently developing the legal framework for implementing a new platform for automated data analysis, a process Dobrindt stressed will be “technology and provider neutral.
The Minister anticipates that new digital capabilities and the deployment of AI will significantly alleviate the workload of Germany’s 55,000 federal police officers. Both the new Federal Police Law and the Federal Criminal Police Office Law are currently undergoing inter-departmental coordination and are expected to be presented to the Cabinet “in the coming weeks”.
