Spain Orders Blacklist of Palantir from State-Backed Companies over National Security Concerns

What happened

Spain's executive government (Moncloa) quietly directed companies overseen by the State Society of Industrial Participations (SEPI) — including Telefónica, Indra, and Navantia — to halt future contracting with Palantir Technologies.

Context and impact

Spain is the third European country after France and Germany to restrict Palantir within roughly one month. The ban is driven by national security concerns around data sovereignty and the risk of a US 'kill switch' over critical software managing sensitive government data. This signals growing European pressure for data independence from US tech firms.

Details

• Affected companies: Telefónica, Indra, Navantia, and other SEPI-controlled firms
• Spain's military (CIFAS) received an exemption — existing €16.5M contract runs through November 2026
• France and Germany enacted similar restrictions in preceding weeks
• Ban covers new contracts, not necessarily immediate termination of existing ones