> Their tools are just easier to use and more expressive.
And that's the problem – they're giving governments tools that let them more easily and effectively infringe on the privacy rights of their citizens. Privacy isn't invaded when the data is collected, although that's a necessary step; it's invaded when a cop or bureaucrat queries that data to see what a citizen has done. Giving them that tool is morally complicit.
~ "That's not my department," said Wernher von Braun. ~
As soon as the data is collected it is going to be used. That is where the privacy invasion is. If a massive data set on citizens leaks and becomes available online, people will still consider it an invasion of privacy, even if it was never "used" prior.
This is a ridiculous stance to take. If true, then open sourcing any form of software is morally corrupt since the government could then use it for evil.
Quite frankly, I don't think any reasonable person would consider selling software to the government to be morally corrupt unless they were reasonably confident the government would use it for evil. Right now, nobody has made a compelling-enough argument to make me believe the government will use this software for evil.
Intent matters. Palantir specifically makes surveillance tech, and specifically markets it to governments.
As for compelling arguments... is the history of most of the world's governments not enough for you? In US, you can look at the census for a case in point: this data was used to chase draft dodgers during WW1, and to compile list of Japanese for internment during WW2. Curiously, by WW2, the federal census law had specific provisions preventing the Bureau from disclosing that information to any other government agencies, precisely to prevent this kind of use - Congress simply repealed those provisions. Nevertheless, the Bureau subsequently denied sharing that data and buried any leads, so we didn't have definitive proof until this century.
> This is a ridiculous stance to take. If true, then open sourcing any form of software is morally corrupt since the government could then use it for evil.
And that's the problem – they're giving governments tools that let them more easily and effectively infringe on the privacy rights of their citizens. Privacy isn't invaded when the data is collected, although that's a necessary step; it's invaded when a cop or bureaucrat queries that data to see what a citizen has done. Giving them that tool is morally complicit.
~ "That's not my department," said Wernher von Braun. ~