PARIS (Realist English). The French Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) has decided to gradually phase out the use of software products from the American company Palantir Technologies in favour of the French developer ChapsVision. The announcement was made on June 16 by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, who called the move a matter of national security and strategic independence.
The decision came just six months after DGSI extended its contract with Palantir for another three years — until 2028. The transition to the new system will take one to three years, and during this period Palantir tools will continue to be used to avoid disruptions in the critically important field of national security.
Who will replace Palantir
The new technology partner for French intelligence will be ChapsVision, founded in 2019. Its AI‑based ArgonOS platform is designed for collecting, processing and analysing large data sets. In 2025, ChapsVision’s revenue was $232 million, while Palantir’s reached $4.5 billion.
Despite the difference in scale, ChapsVision has already been selected by Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) for similar tasks. The company has stated that ChapsVision will become “the technological foundation for many government agencies in processing critical data.”
Ideological backdrop
Prime Minister Lecornu explained the decision by France’s desire to “build real autonomy” and not depend on the “goodwill of certain partners who could cut off access” to technologies. “We cannot rely on tools developed by foreign powers,” he said.
The concern among European allies intensified last week when the US administration forced Anthropic to restrict foreign citizens’ access to its advanced AI models, citing national security risks. This clearly demonstrated the vulnerability of European states to a possible “digital switch” from Washington.
Palantir, co‑founded by billionaire Peter Thiel, who is close to Donald Trump, has been at the centre of scandals in recent years. The company supplied software to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), participated in target identification during the US‑Israeli war against Iran, and has repeatedly been criticised by human rights advocates for threats to civil liberties and surveillance.
European trend
France’s decision fits into a broader European trend to reduce dependence on US technology. Germany is already moving from Palantir to ChapsVision. The Bundeswehr has also announced its intention to phase out the company’s products.
In the UK, under parliamentary pressure, the National Health Service’s £330 million contract with Palantir is being reviewed. London Mayor Sadiq Khan blocked the company’s contract with the Metropolitan Police, citing ineffective spending.
Investment in sovereign AI
Alongside the move away from Palantir, the French government announced an additional €655 million for AI development through 2030. The funds will go to infrastructure, computing power, research and startup support.
In addition, all French civil servants will get access to an AI assistant based on technology from French startup Mistral AI. By the end of the year, the chatbot is expected to be rolled out to 1 million of the 2.6 million civil servants. A separate AI assistant is being developed for the National Health Insurance Service.
