Digital Sovereignty: BfV Buys European Palantir Alternative

Germany's domestic intelligence agency is getting serious about digital sovereignty: The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has acquired new software for analyzing large amounts of data. According to information from WDR, NDR, and Süddeutsche Zeitung, the choice was not the controversial US market leader Palantir, which has been aggressively pushing into the German security market for years. Instead, the French company ChapsVision was awarded the contract.

According to the reports, the Bonn-based authority wants to specifically set a signal against the technological dependence on US providers, which is increasingly bothering many security authorities. BfV President Sinan Selen already hinted at this course at an internal conference in Berlin at the end of 2025. At the time, he emphasized that for security, it is crucial to make geostrategically correct decisions and sharpen the European focus. The goal is to strengthen sovereignty and offer alternatives, rather than entering into long-term dependencies.

With the purchase of the product from ChapsVision, a company owned by tech entrepreneur Olivier Dellenbach, the agency is now putting this announcement into practice.

French AI Instead of US Import

The selected software solution is called ArgonOS and works with Artificial Intelligence (AI). It specializes in sifting through vast amounts of data, correlating information from different databases, and visualizing complex networks.

In addition to classic database analysis, the system also masters research in openly accessible sources, also known as Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). In France, the software is already being successfully used by the domestic intelligence service DGSI. For the German market, ChapsVision cooperates with the IT service provider Rola Security Solutions, which is also integrated into the Police Information and Analysis Network (PIAV).

According to research, sources within the intelligence service state that the proof-of-concept phase has already been successfully completed. The software is considered ready for deployment and is expected to provide valuable services, particularly in counter-terrorism and espionage defense. However, the system is currently being used within a legally tightly defined framework, as the full exploitation of its analysis functions also depends on the planned reform of the intelligence service law. The Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) has been working on an amendment for some time that would grant the BfV expanded powers in the use of AI and facial recognition.

Political Directional Dispute within the Interior Ministry

The BfV's decision is causing political sparks: it exposes the rift within the federal government on the Palantir issue. Security authorities themselves and large parts of the black-red coalition are pushing for European solutions. Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) however, keeps the door open for the US provider. Criticism here comes primarily from the Greens in the Bundestag. Deputy parliamentary group leader Konstantin von Notz considers it to be naive in terms of security policy to become dependent on a company like Palantir; its founder Peter Thiel has been noted for his anti-democratic statements and his closeness to the Trump administration.

Resistance against US software is also growing within the security architecture. In addition to the BfV, the Federal Criminal Police Office and parts of the Bundeswehr have also recently expressed skepticism towards Palantir. They are concerned about sensitive data leaks and the loss of control over critical infrastructure. Bavaria and Hesse continue to rely on Palantir. In other federal states, a rethink is emerging: Baden-Württemberg is openly discussing withdrawal, and cooperation in North Rhine-Westphalia is also under review.

Proponents of European alternatives, such as SPD domestic policy spokesman Sebastian Fiedler, see the BfV's decision as a milestone for national security strategy. Powerful analysis tools are indispensable, but they must not jeopardize digital sovereignty. The successful implementation of the French software at the Office for the Protection of the Constitution could thus serve as a blueprint and increase pressure on the BMI to establish a clear, Europe-oriented procurement strategy.

(vbr)