Palantir Technologies—Palantir secretly deployed predictive policing software with New Orleans police for six years without public oversight
Between 2012 and 2018, the New Orleans Police Department covertly used Palantir's predictive policing software, which analyzed criminal records, social media activity, and gang affiliations to identify potential crime risks. The program operated under the guise of a philanthropic partnership through the NOLA For Life initiative, circumventing normal procurement procedures and public oversight. The secret nature of the deployment prevented any democratic accountability or public debate about the use of surveillance technology.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Transparency | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Criminal Justice Reform | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Surveillance Technology | +toward | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.715 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.57)
Evidence (1 signal)
The Verge reported on Palantir's secret six-year predictive policing program with New Orleans police
Reporting revealed that between 2012 and 2018, the New Orleans Police Department covertly used Palantir's predictive policing software under the guise of a philanthropic partnership through the NOLA For Life initiative. The program analyzed criminal records, social media activity, and gang affiliations, operating without normal procurement procedures or public oversight.