Why you're wrong about Palantir, and TL;DR Tolkien

Why you're wrong about Palantir, and TL;DR Tolkien

From Top Comment by BBC

May 22, 2026 · 27 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the controversial reputation of Palantir and the implications of surveillance technology in everyday life.

The US tech giant Palantir holds contracts with some of the most influential entities in the world, from government departments and pharmaceutical companies to military contractors and banking powerhouses. Funding links to the CIA, misconceptions about how it operates, and broader concerns surrounding the use of private data, have all led to a significant protest movement online at the firm's increasing integration into major institutions. On this episode, Matt and Marianna consider why a narrative framing Palantir as a malevolent force is flourishing on social media, and ask whether this stealthy reputation actually suits its business model. Also this week, after a former Meta AI researcher told the BBC that smart glasses are "an invasion of privacy", is being filmed covertly for content a new reality of everyday life? Top Comment is hosted by Marianna Spring and Matt Shea. The series producer is Laurie Kalus. The social producer is Sophie Millward. The technical producer was James Piper. The editor is Justine Lang. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. If you want to get in touch about something that's popped up on your feed, our email address is topcomment@bbc.co.uk or you can…

People in this episode

Hosts: Matt Shea, Marianna Spring

Topics covered

  • Palantir
  • data privacy
  • social media narratives
  • technology ethics
  • surveillance
  • AI
  • smart glasses

Keywords

  • Palantir
  • CIA
  • data privacy
  • smart glasses
  • surveillance
  • Meta
  • social media
  • technology ethics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Palantir, CIA, Meta

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