Constitution Square (Plac Konstytucji) in Warsaw

Warsaw Protesters Oppose Poland’s Palantir Defence Deal Over Military Data Fears

November 9, 2026 Faizan Altaf

Demonstrators gathered in Warsaw on Sunday to protest against a possible deal between Poland’s Defence Ministry and Palantir, the American data-analysis company, warning that the country’s most sensitive military information could end up under foreign control.

The protesters walked from Constitution Square to the Presidential Palace, where they urged President Karol Nawrocki to order an independent security assessment of the proposed cooperation before any agreement is signed.

The protest is the most visible sign yet of a growing debate in Poland about digital sovereignty: how much of a country’s defence should depend on a private foreign company, and who really controls the data when the software sits on someone else’s systems?

What happened on Sunday

The demonstration was organised by the “Our Data” campaign, a group of activists and digital-rights campaigners who have been pressing the Polish government for weeks to pause the Palantir talks.

According to TVP World, the protesters marched to the Presidential Palace and called on President Nawrocki to make sure an independent assessment of the deal’s security implications takes place. They demanded clear answers to three questions: who would have access to Polish defence data, where that data would be stored, and whether Polish authorities would keep real control over the technology.

The campaigners also want a full legal and technical review of the proposed cooperation before anything is finalised, and they want parliament to debate the deal rather than leaving it to officials behind closed doors. They plan to hand an open letter to President Nawrocki on Tuesday 10 November, formally asking for an independent security review.

One of the protest’s co-organisers, Natan Chromik, told the business news outlet WNP that the campaign wants the government to suspend the proposed deal until an independent assessment is complete and its findings have been discussed in parliament.

Palantir has responded to the controversy. The company told the business news outlet WNP that its system operates exclusively under the customer’s control when installed on the customer’s infrastructure, and that it has no access to the data being processed, cannot obtain it independently, or remotely disable the system.

What is the Palantir deal?

Poland’s Ministry of National Defence has been in discussions with Palantir since 2024. The talks moved forward in two steps:

In December 2024, the ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with the company.
In October 2025, it signed a non-binding letter of intent concerning the possible purchase of Palantir’s Maven Smart System Poland.

No final agreement has been reached, and the exact scope, timeline and financial terms of any deal have not been made public.

The Maven system is military software that uses artificial intelligence to process large amounts of battlefield information — such as satellite images, sensor data and intelligence reports — and turn it into a clearer picture for commanders. NATO’s military command agreed a deal in 2025 to deploy the Maven system, which uses AI for surveillance and targeting.

Palantir was founded in 2003 and is best known for building data-analysis tools used by armed forces and intelligence agencies. The company, co-founded by billionaires Peter Thiel and Alex Karp, is now valued at around $400 billion, according to Bloomberg. It has become one of the most prominent — and most controversial — names in defence technology, and its software has been used by Ukraine’s armed forces.

Why are protesters worried?

The campaigners’ central concern is control. Palantir’s software would process Polish military data, and the protesters say the public still does not know where that data would be stored, who could access it, or what would happen if the relationship with the company broke down.

Their worries fall into four main areas:

Access to classified data. The protesters questioned who would be able to see sensitive defence information once it runs through Palantir’s systems, and whether Polish officers or the American company would hold the keys.

Foreign control. They warned against a situation in which classified military systems depend on a private company based in another country — a concern that has grown as relations between Europe and the Trump administration have become more strained.

Data storage. The campaign has demanded clarity on where Polish military data would physically be stored, and under whose laws.

Transparency. The talks have taken place largely out of public view. The campaigners want an independent assessment of the operational, legal and technological risks, and a debate in parliament, before the government commits.

These concerns are not unique to Poland. Across Europe, governments have been rethinking how much they depend on American technology companies, and Palantir has become a symbol of that debate.

What the government says

The Polish government has not cancelled the talks, but it has acknowledged the concerns. Poland’s Digital Affairs Ministry confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski requested an assessment in September of the operational, legal and technological risks associated with the proposed cooperation.

That review is one of the things the protesters are now waiting for. They want its findings to be published and debated in parliament, not kept inside ministries.

The wider European backlash against Palantir

The Warsaw protest is part of a much bigger argument playing out across Europe about the role of American technology in national security.

In France, the security services have replaced Palantir’s tools with those of a local firm, ChapsVision, as part of a push to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.

In Britain, Palantir faces the possible loss of a $443 million contract with the National Health Service, where concerns about access to government and health data have drawn protests.

NATO, meanwhile, went the other way: its military command agreed in 2025 to deploy Palantir’s Maven system. That contrast — NATO adopting the technology while individual countries question it — captures the tension at the heart of the debate.

Bloomberg has reported that European governments are steadily pulling away from American technology firms as deteriorating relations with the Trump administration push them to reduce their dependence on US infrastructure. Palantir, valued at around $400 billion, has become a lightning rod for that anxiety: a company that is wired into the government machinery of the United States and its allies, and that critics say represents American technological dominance at the expense of European sovereignty.

Poland sits in the middle of this argument. It is NATO’s eastern bulwark, sharing a border with Ukraine, and its defence spending is among the highest in the alliance. At the same time, its politics are sharply divided, and the current constitutional crisis — in which President Nawrocki and the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk are locked in a dispute over the Constitutional Tribunal — means that almost any major government decision becomes a political battleground.

Why this matters

The Palantir question matters for three reasons.

First, it is about security in the most literal sense. The software in question would handle information about how Poland defends itself. If that data is mishandled, stored in the wrong place or accessed by the wrong people, the consequences could be serious. The protesters are not arguing that the software does not work — they are arguing that the risks have not been properly examined in public.

Second, it is about sovereignty. Poland is not the only country asking whether it should hand core defence functions to a foreign private company. France has already answered that question by switching to a domestic supplier. Britain is still arguing about it. Poland’s answer will be watched closely by other European governments facing the same choice.

Third, it is about trust. The protesters’ demand is, at its core, a simple one: show us the assessment, let parliament debate it, and only then decide. Whether the government does that will shape how much confidence the public has in the deal — whatever the final decision is.

What happens next

The campaigners plan to submit their open letter to President Nawrocki on Tuesday 10 November, calling for an independent security review. The government’s own risk assessment, requested by Deputy Prime Minister Gawkowski in September, is still pending, and no date has been set for finalising the Palantir agreement.

Until then, the deal remains in limbo: discussed since 2024, advanced through a memorandum and a letter of intent, but not yet signed — and now facing public opposition that its supporters did not expect.

Frequently asked questions

What is Palantir?

Palantir is an American technology company founded in 2003 that builds data-analysis software for governments, armed forces and intelligence agencies. Its best-known defence product is the Maven system, which uses artificial intelligence to process battlefield information such as satellite images and sensor data.

What deal is Poland discussing with Palantir?

Poland’s Defence Ministry has been talking to Palantir since 2024. It signed a memorandum of understanding in December 2024 and a non-binding letter of intent in October 2025 about possibly buying Palantir’s Maven Smart System Poland. No final agreement has been signed.

Why did people protest in Warsaw?

Protesters gathered at Constitution Square on Sunday 8 November and marched to the Presidential Palace. They are worried about who would have access to Polish military data, where it would be stored, and whether Poland would keep control of classified systems. They want an independent security assessment and a parliamentary debate before any deal is signed.

What do the protesters want?

The “Our Data” campaign wants the government to suspend the deal until an independent assessment of the operational, legal and technological risks is complete and debated in parliament. It also plans to submit an open letter to President Karol Nawrocki on 10 November asking for an independent security review.

Has Palantir responded?

Yes. The company told the business news outlet WNP that its system operates exclusively under the customer’s control when installed on the customer’s infrastructure, and that it has no access to the data being processed, cannot obtain it independently, or remotely disable the system.

Is Palantir controversial elsewhere in Europe?

Yes. France’s security services have replaced Palantir’s tools with those of a local firm, ChapsVision. In Britain, Palantir risks losing a $443 million contract with the National Health Service amid concerns over access to government and health data. NATO, however, agreed in 2025 to deploy Palantir’s Maven system.

Conclusion

The Warsaw protest was not a large political rally, but it was a focused one: citizens asking their government to slow down, show its homework, and let parliament decide before handing sensitive military data to a foreign company.

Poland’s Defence Ministry has spent two years moving towards a deal with Palantir, and the technology on offer — AI-powered analysis of battlefield data — is exactly the kind of capability modern armed forces want. But the protesters’ questions are hard to dismiss: who sees the data, where is it stored, and who is really in control?

The government’s own risk assessment, requested in September, may answer some of those questions. The open letter due on the president’s desk on Tuesday will keep the pressure on. For now, the deal is neither signed nor dead — and the debate about who controls Poland’s military data is only just beginning.

Sources

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.

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