Palantir and Anduril partner with US State Department on digital freedom program

The US State Department has launched a public-private partnership called the Freedom Tech Excellence Program, bringing together Palantir Technologies, Anduril Industries, the Bitcoin Policy Institute, and the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to work on digital rights initiatives. The program, which went live in late July 2026, will embed private-sector employees from these organizations directly inside the State Department on limited-term assignments. What the program actually covers FTEP’s stated priority areas are broad and ambitious. They include protecting online free expression, countering unlawful digital surveillance and scams, promoting privacy-enhancing technologies, ensuring responsible governance of AI, and improving online user safety. The operational model is straightforward. Employees from the founding partner organizations will rotate into the State Department for limited stints, working alongside diplomats and career officials to develop tools, frameworks, and policy recommendations across those priority areas. Palantir, which built its reputation on data analytics platforms used extensively by intelligence agencies and law enforcement, brings deep expertise...