US Tech Corporations and Digital Dependency in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland

Summary

The podcast "Transalpin" discusses the growing influence of dubious US technology corporations in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The focus is on Palantir, a data and surveillance company led by Alex Carp, whose European headquarters is located in Switzerland. While Switzerland has consistently kept the company out of its government agencies, German federal states are already using the software for police investigations. The article also highlights the role of Peter Thiel, multibillionaire and co-founder of Palantir, as well as strategies for European digital sovereignty.

People

• Alex Carp
• Peter Thiel
• Laura Rudarsch
• Lenz Jakobsen
• Mattis Daum
• Florian Gasser
• Elon Musk
• Emmanuel Macron
• Friedrich Merz

Topics

• US technology corporations in Europe
• Data protection and surveillance
• Digital sovereignty
• Police data processing
• Crossword puzzle history and culture
• European cloud infrastructure

Detailed Summary

The Influence of Palantir

Palantir, a data and surveillance company, is presented as one of the most problematic examples of US tech dominance in Europe. The company is involved in drone strikes, intelligence activities, and under the Trump administration, in the hunting of migrants. CEO Alex Carp has publicly stated he wants to "make America more lethal" and views European migration policy as the "greatest postwar human rights violation."

The Peter Thiel Factor: Co-founder and largest shareholder is Peter Thiel, a German-descended, right-wing ideological multibillionaire who has outed himself as a conspiracy theorist and rejects the compatibility of freedom with democracy. Thiel is also a passionate advocate of French philosopher René Girard.

Palantir in German-Speaking Countries

Switzerland: Despite establishing its European headquarters in Zurich, Palantir has managed to penetrate Swiss government agencies. Research by Republik shows that Laura Rudarsch, former SPD federal executive director and now Executive Vice President of Palantir, has repeatedly approached Swiss federal offices – each time without success. The army's justification: "Palantir is a company based in the US where there is a possibility that sensitive data could be accessed by the American government."

Germany: Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Hesse use Palantir software for police investigations. The software searches through millions of data sets in seconds and combines various data sources. German data protection officers and opposition politicians are protesting against this cooperation. SPD Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stopped the implementation in 2023, but her successor Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has advocated for further expansion and plans to involve third-party providers like Palantir even more directly in police investigations.

Austria: The black plan government under Sebastian Kurz tested Palantir's analysis tool "Conan" at the Austrian federal army. The jagd commando used it for six months free of charge, allegedly without internet connection and secret data. Der Standard revealed that this was possible.

Austria Connection to Thiel: At the Theological Faculty of the University of Innsbruck, Peter Thiel held a private seminar in August 2024 titled "The Antichrist – A Four-Part Lecture". Theologian Wolfgang Palaver moderated the discussion. Thiel apparently used Innsbruck as a test framework for positions he later presented on the big stage in San Francisco.

Digital Dependency and Cloud Infrastructure

The European cloud situation is paradoxical: While the EU promotes digital sovereignty, the new "European Sovereign Cloud" in Brandenburg is operated by Amazon – under the leadership of founder Jeff Bezos, who has sponsored and applauded Trump. Digital policy expert Markus Beckedahl calls this "sovereignty washing."

Switzerland: Switzerland pays 340 million francs annually for Microsoft Office 365 licenses. At the same time, Microsoft is opening data centers around Vienna – Austria is building a "AI Innovation Factory" by Microsoft.

Counterexamples: The city of Vienna has long used open-source software, the Austrian ministry of economics uses NextCloud instead of Microsoft, and Schleswig-Holstein is planning a complete switch to open source.

Payments and Local Alternatives

PayPal, founded by Peter Thiel, dominates in Germany. Switzerland has Twint (founded by PostFinance), a functioning national alternative, while Vero is attempting to become a European solution – though with limited availability (Germany is currently being reviewed). Online retail in Switzerland is dominated by Digitec Galaxus, not Amazon.

Crossword Puzzle History

The first German crossword puzzle appeared in 1925 in the Berlin illustrated newspaper. The first question was: "Germany's pressing obligation" – the answer was "reparations." In Switzerland, the first puzzle appeared at the same time in the Tagesanzeiger. In Austria, the first puzzle was difficult to trace, but the first documented example appeared in the Arbeiterzeitung in 1949.

Doctors in the 20th century warned of "crossword widows" and claimed that crossword puzzles caused myopia and neuroses. In Austria, Tutti Müller-Bossart was chief puzzle editor of the Tagesanzeiger for over 30 years and favored the more difficult "lateral thinking" variant.

The British Times called crossword puzzles "five million hours daily, wasted on a meaningless, silly thing."

The Prayer App "Hello"

A Catholic prayer app called "Hello" is financed by Peter Thiel and J.D. Vance. Users can pray together with prominent names like Gwen Stefani or Mark Wahlberg. Problematic: Austrian motorsport moderator and great-grandson of the last emperor, Ferdinand Habsburg, uses the app to promote the canonization of Emperor Karl, who used poison gas in World War I, among other things.

Key Statements

• Palantir, founded by Peter Thiel, is a prime example of dubious US tech dominance in Europe, with connections to drones, intelligence activities, and the Trump administration
• Switzerland has consistently kept Palantir out of government agencies, while German federal states and Austria's army are already testing or using the software
• European "sovereignty clouds" are operated by Amazon and Microsoft – a contradiction that experts call "sovereignty washing"
• Small, practical alternatives like Twint (Switzerland) show that national tech solutions can work
• Peter Thiel invests strategically in various sectors (PayPal, Palantir, Hello app) and influences discourse throughout Europe
• Crossword puzzles are cultural continuities that began in Germany in 1925 with a political question about reparations

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