{
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "generatedAt": "2026-10-19T06:38:23.336Z",
  "findingType": "finding",
  "findingId": 4161,
  "contentHash": "01934161ed4225e7b6578f090b0143eb7b610bb427512e8599ed296ca037128d",
  "title": "Palantir is building a cross-agency 'mega-database' on Americans, paid $130M+ by the IRS",
  "summary": "Through 2025-26, Palantir engineers embedded at the IRS built a 'mega-API' to unify the agency's records into a single searchable hub, and Palantir was paid more than $130M by the IRS to analyze sensitive federal data. Reporting describes an effort to link IRS, Social Security and immigration records into a government-wide system feeding ICE's Palantir-built ImmigrationOS — which pulls IRS, SSA, passport and license-plate data to profile deportation targets. Ten congressional Democrats pressed Palantir, warning of a 'surveillance nightmare.' The stated purpose is modernization and enforcement; the documented concern is the unprecedented concentration of cross-agency data on Americans in one contractor's platform.",
  "methodology": "This finding was identified through systematic investigation of 2 entities. Evidence was classified as \"severe\" severity based on source verification tier (not categorised). The finding was reviewed under editorial status \"published\".",
  "sources": [
    {
      "url": "https://theintercept.com/2026/04/24/palantir-irs-contract-data/",
      "label": "The Intercept",
      "type": "primary"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.govexec.com/management/2025/07/irs-building-vast-system-share-millions-taxpayers-data-ice/406739/",
      "label": "Government Executive",
      "type": "primary"
    }
  ],
  "queries": [
    {
      "description": "Finding record lookup",
      "table": "findings",
      "parameters": {
        "id": 4161
      }
    },
    {
      "description": "Involved entity resolution",
      "table": "entities",
      "parameters": {
        "names": [
          "Palantir Technologies",
          "ImmigrationOS"
        ]
      }
    }
  ],
  "dataSnapshot": {
    "id": 4161,
    "title": "Palantir is building a cross-agency 'mega-database' on Americans, paid $130M+ by the IRS",
    "findingType": "other",
    "description": "Through 2025-26, Palantir engineers embedded at the IRS built a 'mega-API' to unify the agency's records into a single searchable hub, and Palantir was paid more than $130M by the IRS to analyze sensitive federal data. Reporting describes an effort to link IRS, Social Security and immigration records into a government-wide system feeding ICE's Palantir-built ImmigrationOS — which pulls IRS, SSA, passport and license-plate data to profile deportation targets. Ten congressional Democrats pressed Palantir, warning of a 'surveillance nightmare.' The stated purpose is modernization and enforcement; the documented concern is the unprecedented concentration of cross-agency data on Americans in one contractor's platform.",
    "severity": "severe",
    "evidenceSummary": null,
    "publicInterest": "A single contractor unifying tax, benefits and immigration data into a searchable federal dossier system is a structural surveillance risk regardless of any single use.",
    "sourceTypes": [],
    "sourceUrls": [
      {
        "url": "https://theintercept.com/2026/04/24/palantir-irs-contract-data/",
        "label": "The Intercept"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://www.govexec.com/management/2025/07/irs-building-vast-system-share-millions-taxpayers-data-ice/406739/",
        "label": "Government Executive"
      }
    ],
    "reviewStatus": "published",
    "goblin": {
      "name": "Goat",
      "slug": "goat"
    },
    "createdAt": "2026-06-01T10:52:03.115Z"
  },
  "entities": [
    {
      "id": 32,
      "name": "ImmigrationOS",
      "slug": "immigrationos",
      "type": "instrument"
    },
    {
      "id": 17,
      "name": "Palantir Technologies",
      "slug": "palantir-technologies",
      "type": "company"
    }
  ],
  "verificationSteps": [
    "Retrieve finding #4161 from the findings table and confirm title, description, and severity match this bundle.",
    "Visit source: https://theintercept.com/2026/04/24/palantir-irs-contract-data/ — confirm the claim described in the evidence summary.",
    "Visit source: https://www.govexec.com/management/2025/07/irs-building-vast-system-share-millions-taxpayers-data-ice/406739/ — confirm the claim described in the evidence summary.",
    "Cross-reference involved entities (Palantir Technologies, ImmigrationOS) in the entities table.",
    "Verify the SHA-256 content hash by re-generating the JSON bundle and hashing it."
  ]
}