The Swiss army has considered working with the US technology company Palantir on five occasions in recent years, and has decided against it each time. This is the finding of an investigation by the online magazine Republik and the research collective WAV, whose conclusions were reported by RSI and then by SWI swissinfo.ch on 19 October 2026. These refusals should, however, be read for what they are: case-by-case decisions taken by army specialists, not a general rule set by the political authorities.

Five contacts, five refusals

The investigation concerns five contacts between experts from the Swiss army and Palantir. “We not only uncovered these five contacts, but also the reasons why cooperation was rejected,” Balz Oertli, one of the journalists behind the investigation, told RSI. According to him, “in three of the five cases, it was the lack of control over the data that led to the refusal.”

The source does not specify which projects were involved, when these contacts took place, or which army units were concerned. Nor does it detail the reasons for the other two refusals. The text of the Republik and WAV investigation, which is the reference document here, is not linked in the source article.

Sovereignty over confidential data

For the army specialists, the issue was one of sovereignty in the handling of confidential information. In other words, the question was not merely technical: it was about who retains control of sensitive data once it is entrusted to a tool developed and operated by a foreign company. “Clearly, they did not trust Palantir enough,” Balz Oertli concludes.

This reading ties in with a broader theme, that of the digital sovereignty of public institutions. The source article does not say whether other considerations, such as long-term dependence on a single supplier or cost, played a role in the army’s decisions.

Palantir, a powerful and controversial player

Palantir is among the most powerful and most controversial companies in the world. Thanks to its artificial intelligence model, capable of rapidly processing large quantities of data, it promises real-time solutions to complex and sensitive problems, including on the battlefield. Its range includes software designed to prevent terrorist attacks and to identify military targets.

Its clients include governments, armed forces and intelligence services in several countries. Switzerland is not among them, at least as far as its army is concerned, according to the evidence gathered by the investigation.

An investigation carried out at European level

The work on Palantir was conducted at European level, as part of a collaboration between several media outlets. It uncovered a contract volume of €1.44 billion for Palantir in Europe. The company nevertheless generates most of its total revenue, of around €4 billion, in the United States.

“The absence of cooperation with the Swiss army is nonetheless significant,” says Balz Oertli. “Switzerland would certainly have been a very good client.” The journalist points out that the country is neutral and not a member of NATO, and that the size of its army is comparable to that of other potential clients. These successive refusals therefore constitute, in his view, “a problem for Palantir.”

On the company’s place in Swiss public procurement beyond the army, for example in other departments, cantons or public enterprises, the source gives no indication.

What has not been decided

The five refusals do not amount to exclusion. Palantir can continue to offer its services in Switzerland: the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), headed by Federal Councillor Martin Pfister, has not taken any decision in principle that would prevent a collaboration.

The question could, however, reach Parliament. The Greens have submitted a parliamentary initiative calling for a ban on contracts with foreign suppliers of this type of service. They cite the same concerns as those expressed by the army specialists: transparency and the security of confidential data. The submission of an initiative does not prejudge its outcome; the text has yet to be examined by the Federal Assembly, and its exact wording is not reproduced in the source.

A case closely followed in Switzerland

This is not the first time Palantir has made the news in Switzerland. In December 2025, SWI swissinfo.ch noted that Zurich serves as a hub for the company’s business relationships and that the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs was taking an interest in it because of its controversial role in Gaza. In June 2026, Palantir accepted the ruling of the Zurich Commercial Court in its dispute with Republik magazine, and decided not to appeal.

The revelations about the army fit into this context: they document the caution of part of the military administration towards a supplier whose model is based on the mass processing of sensitive data. What happens next will now depend less on journalists than on the choices of the DDPS and Parliament.

Sources

  • SWI swissinfo.ch: “Swiss army rejected US tech firm Palantir on five occasions”