Spain Orders Blacklist of Palantir from Public and Private Companies(clashreport.com)
677 points by mgh2 21 hours ago | 273 comments
tl;dr: Spain's government is directing SEPI-controlled companies—including Telefónica, Indra, and Navantia—to stop contracting with Palantir over national security and sovereignty concerns, mirroring similar moves in France and Germany. Palantir retains a €16.5M contract with Spain's military intelligence (CIFAS) expiring in November, which military leadership wants renewed despite Moncloa's resistance. The blacklist reflects geopolitical tensions between PM Sánchez and the Trump administration (given Thiel and Karp's ties), and Spain is funding domestic alternatives like Openchip via a €5B gigafactory initiative.
HN Discussion:
  • Spain is setting a positive example other European countries should follow
  • The ban is hypocritical since Spain uses other foreign firms like Huawei, suggesting corruption not security
  • ~Skepticism that the policy will endure through future political changes
  • Questioning why the ban targets only Palantir rather than being a general law
  • Requesting more specifics about the actual national security concerns cited