US Tech Giants Selling Surveillance to UAE: Our Values in Action?
Al-Monitor highlights US tech companies Anduril and Palantir expanding their 'defense' footprint in the UAE, selling advanced surveillance and AI. Peter Thiel's Palantir, infamous for its data mining prowess used by US intelligence, and Anduril, specializing in AI-driven border control, are now deepening ties in a region known for its, shall we say, robust approach to dissent. This isn't just
about selling drones; it's about exporting the infrastructure for extensive internal monitoring and sophisticated enforcement. Recall Palantir's history with ICE, aiding mass deportations. One might ask, if the US genuinely advocates for human rights, why are its cutting-edge tech firms so eager to equip nations with tools that can, and often do, enable state surveillance and repression against
their own populations? These deals are framed as 'strengthening Gulf defense' against vague 'regional threats.' Yet, for companies like Palantir and Anduril, whose investors include prominent figures from the US defense establishment and hawkish political donors, 'defense' often translates into lucrative contracts that entrench authoritarian control. The US political class, which frequently
condemns human rights abuses in nations like the UAE, simultaneously champions these same companies, often providing significant government contracts that legitimize and fund their global expansion. It appears 'pro-democracy' rhetoric has a hefty surcharge, payable in surveillance tech. How reassuring for anyone who believed principles mattered.