Palantir Gotham software deployment in Baden-Württemberg police
Baden-Württemberg's state parliament voted on 23 July 2026 to proceed with deploying Palantir's Gotham software for police data analysis, despite opposition from SPD and reservations from the Green party about the contract's handling and vendor choice.
What happened
The Baden-Württemberg Interior Ministry contracted with Palantir to deploy its Gotham software for police data analysis. The contract was awarded without public tender, without termination rights, and reportedly without a legal basis in police law.
The state parliament voted on 23 July 2026 on an SPD-sponsored motion to halt the deployment. The motion received 14 votes in favour, 95 against, with 28 abstentions and 2 invalid votes, allowing the deployment to proceed.
Reported impact
The SPD raised concerns that the software's setup posed 'the risk of illegitimate data outflow and constitute a threat to the state's security interests.'
The software was not yet operational as of the vote, despite the contract being signed the previous year. The annual costs are approximately €4.25 million for implementation and operation, plus €5 million yearly for Palantir software licenses through 2030.
Index analysis
The SPD and Green party both questioned the vendor selection, with the SPD noting that the Interior Ministry had not conducted a current market analysis and citing the French alternative ArgonOS already in use by Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
The Green party stated it opposed Palantir but supported the contract because it was already signed, intending the software to be deployed only temporarily as a 'bridge technology' until the contract expires in 2030 without renewal.
Governance controls
The Interior Ministry stated that the software would link existing police databases, that no new data would be collected but only lawfully stored police data would be cross-referenced, and that use would be limited to the most serious offences and substantial threats following Constitutional Court guidelines.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.