France has selected domestic firm ChapsVision to replace US company Palantir for large-scale data processing at the DGSI, part of a drive to reduce strategic dependence on foreign tech. The DGSI had renewed its Palantir contract last December, and Palantir says that agreement remains "fully in force." The government also announced a €655 million AI investment, a shared government chatbot, and a public-health bot for Ameli.
France Moves to Replace Palantir With Domestic Firm ChapsVision to Secure Intelligence Data
French spy service drops Palantir in favour of French company, says Lecornu
France has picked domestic tech firm ChapsVision to replace US company Palantir for large-scale data processing at the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on Tuesday.
Why the Change?
Lecornu framed the decision as part of a broader push for digital sovereignty:
"We cannot accept new strategic dependencies in the digital sphere. We must build genuine autonomy so as not to depend on the goodwill of certain partners, who are capable of turning off the tap on access to AI."
Background
Palantir — founded by Peter Thiel and known for selling military-grade, AI-driven data-integration platforms — first began working with the DGSI after the 13 November 2015 attacks, when French authorities faced an urgent surge in data to analyse. The company’s Gotham system was regarded as one of the few operational platforms capable of meeting that demand.
The DGSI renewed its contract with Palantir in December for an additional three years. Shortly after the government announcement, Palantir said the contract "remains fully in force." French officials say the handover details and timetable for deploying ChapsVision’s solution will be published in due course.
European Context And Concerns
The move comes amid growing worries in Europe about dependence on US tech. Recent US restrictions — notably a Washington order requiring the AI startup Anthropic to deny "all foreign nationals" access to its most powerful models for national-security reasons — have intensified debate over strategic autonomy. Leaders and candidates in France warned of a possible "AI war" and urged greater independence.
Several NATO countries have also reassessed ties with Palantir: the German army announced it would stop using Palantir earlier this year; the UK’s National Health Service is reviewing a £330 million (€382 million) data contract with the company; and London Mayor Sadiq Khan blocked a proposed £50 million deal between Palantir and the Metropolitan Police on procurement and value-for-money grounds.
France’s AI Investments And Public Services
Alongside the ChapsVision announcement, Lecornu said France will invest €655 million in artificial intelligence and roll out a shared government chatbot. The state health-insurance agency Ameli will receive a public-health chatbot, and the government plans a new digital platform to improve access to public data.
About ChapsVision
For ChapsVision, the award is a major step. The company — which aims to become a European leader in data intelligence and agentic AI — had already secured an initial DGSI contract in 2024 to process heterogeneous data. The new mandate will expand its role to include mass-data exploitation tasks historically handled by Palantir.
What’s Next: French authorities say they will publish more details about the transition plan and timeline soon. In the meantime, Palantir maintains that its current contract with the DGSI is still in force.
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