Article contents:
- Introduction: When surveillance is just steps away
- What are ISTAR systems or “AI kill chains”?
- How do these digital nets work?
- The hidden infrastructure: How do we contribute unknowingly?
- Rights violation: From immigrants to the residents of Gaza
- From war to commerce: The spread of targeting tools
- Call to action: The “privacy cause” now or never
- Conclusion: When everyone becomes a potential target
Introduction: When surveillance is just steps away
“ICE agents are about to arrive,” my friend said, looking at his phone. We were in a cafe in one of New York’s oldest neighborhoods, a place that has long supported immigrant communities. Now, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known for its civil rights violations, was just steps away, questioning our neighbors in their homes. What many didn’t see is that these operations are backed by an AI surveillance infrastructure—tools that Palantir Technologies, where I formerly worked, helped develop and deploy.
What are ISTAR systems or “AI kill chains”?
These tools are technically known as Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) systems. More directly, they are known as “AI kill chains.” These systems, built by various companies, allow users to track, detain, and—in the context of war—kill people on a mass scale with the help of artificial intelligence. They play a key role in global events, from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine to the detention of immigrants and dissenting students in the United States.
How do these digital nets work?
These platforms generate and track targets by exploiting a massive pool of datasets. This can include highly personal information such as biometric and medical data, social media data encompassing friends and family, precise location data derived from license plate readers, SIM card data, and surveillance drone data. They can also process data purchased from private data brokers. By integrating all this information, the systems discover patterns and present targets to operators.
The hidden infrastructure: How do we contribute unknowingly?
The hidden nature of these structures is part of the reason they are poorly understood by the public. While working with cloud software in offices, driving new cars, or browsing social media at home, we are all feeding massive amounts of data to the surveillance and targeting software created by major tech companies, which we often realize only after it is too late.
Rights violation: From immigrants to the residents of Gaza
The nets fueled by ISTAR technology do not just trap immigrants and combatants. They appear to violate the First and Fourth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution: first, by creating vast and hidden surveillance networks that limit what people feel comfortable sharing publicly; and second, by enabling searches and seizures of people’s data without their knowledge or consent. They are rapidly stripping some of the world’s most vulnerable populations, such as political dissidents or the residents of Gaza, of their human rights.
From war to commerce: The spread of targeting tools
As AI targeting technologies become increasingly normalized, they are being integrated more and more into the private sector. Companies are building their own data nets using platforms like Palantir to target their customers and employees—not to kill or deport them, but to shape their behavior and maximize revenue, further augmenting systems of control.
Call to action: The “privacy cause” now or never
It is time to embrace the cause of privacy once again, or else we will witness the unrestricted spread of these tools in our public lives. Unfortunately, the battle for civil rights in the face of artificial intelligence is struggling at both the federal and state levels. In Colorado, the country’s first artificial intelligence consumer protection laws are now under threat. That is why last month I took to the streets of Denver, with about 40 other activists, to march to Palantir’s headquarters in coast-to-coast protests.
Conclusion: When everyone becomes a potential target
These days, I worry about when, not if, I will become a target. I am an independent journalist, an immigrant, and I have protested in support of Palestine—and these technologies have been used to target all three groups. Understanding the true consequences of this technology is not just an intellectual matter, but an urgent necessity to protect our fundamental freedoms before they fade away into the hidden surveillance net.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who is Palantir?
A: It is an American software company specializing in big data analytics, known for its contracts with government, military, and intelligence agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Q: What are the main risks of ISTAR systems?
A: Risks include widespread privacy violations, discrimination, wrongful detention, and the potential for their use in targeted killings based on data that may be inaccurate or biased, alongside a lack of transparency and accountability.
Q: How do these technologies affect the average citizen?
A: Even if you are not a direct target, the existence of large-scale surveillance networks creates a “chilling effect” that limits freedom of speech and assembly. In addition, similar technologies are increasingly used by private companies to target consumers and employees.
