Phantom Palantir: Government slows down new analysis software for BKA
Between counter-terrorism and data protection: The federal government opts for a modular system instead of US software for digital surveillance.
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In the debate about the use of analysis software by German security authorities, there are increasingly non-binding statements from Berlin. In the past, Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) showed sympathy for the US company Palantir. However, the ministry he heads and the federal government as a whole are demonstrating restraint. In their answer to a request from the AfD parliamentary group, they emphasize that a decision on the procurement of a specific software solution for the Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt, BKA). Or the Federal Police has still not been made.
With this, the government is temporarily hitting the brakes on the far-reaching plans for AI-supported big data analysis. Instead of a quick off-the-shelf solution, the federal government is pursuing a different path: As part of the Federal-State Program P20, the development of capabilities for evaluation and analysis within a modular approach has been decided, writes the responsible Federal Ministry of the Interior. The required technological capacities are therefore to be provided through a combination of individual modules.
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With this approach, the government is responding to criticism regarding dependence on US technology such as Palantir and the lack of transparency of proprietary algorithms. According to the government, the exact design of this toolkit is still undergoing technical review.
Complex data analysis under strict reservation
The questioners had specifically highlighted the advantages of Palantir software, which is already in use in states such as Bavaria or Hesse. There, the technology is used to link huge amounts of data from heterogeneous sources – from police databases to social media profiles – in a matter of seconds. Proponents promise more efficient counter-terrorism as a result. However, in its response, the federal government refuses to assess Palantir's performance. It is continuously and openly evaluating, based on technical requirements and legal regulations.
Constitutional compliance remains a sensitive issue. In 2023, the Federal Constitutional Court imposed strict limits on automated data analysis to protect uninvolved parties. The executive refers to new draft laws intended to implement these requirements. Classification as a high-risk application according to the AI Act also remains in limbo: Since specific guidelines from the EU Commission are still pending, a final official assessment of specific software is currently not possible. As long as the "modular approach" remains in the planning stage, the BKA and the Federal Police are operating in a technological waiting room. The political price for the entry of US AI into German authorities is apparently so high at the moment that the executive prefers to play it by ear.
(wpl)
