The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has opted for software from the French company ChapsVision to enhance data analysis in counter-terrorism and espionage prevention. This decision aims to reduce reliance on American providers like Palantir. According to information from the Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR, and WDR, this move represents a step towards digital sovereignty.
A spokesperson for the BfV stated that market surveys are regularly conducted to familiarize themselves with new products. "We ask for understanding that the BfV generally does not publicly comment on matters that may involve specific intelligence findings or activities," the spokesperson said.
ChapsVision's software employs intelligence to analyze large data sets and is already in use by several French authorities, including the domestic intelligence service DGSI. The software has successfully completed testing at the BfV and is now ready for deployment.
The choice of ChapsVision marks a turning point, as the BfV is the first federal security agency to select a European alternative to Palantir. Other federal states, such as Hesse, Bavaria, and North Rhine-Westphalia, have been using Palantir applications for years.
Sebastian Fiedler, the domestic policy spokesperson for the SPD in the Bundestag, emphasized the need for efficient software tools for security agencies but warned against using Palantir at the federal level. "We need European alternatives," Fiedler stated, highlighting the importance of digital sovereignty for the national security strategy.
