Obviously this is not something EU citizens want. If we wanted it, we would issue laws that gave the military and police the right to do it themselves. The only reason that this roundabout way came to exist is that such surveillance would not pass unnoticed by voters.
There are some "more local" alternatives. Sweden for example can (and as rumors goes, do) use neighboring countries like Denmark to spy on Swedish citizens by looking at network traffic that goes over the border. People have argued however that this is a bit worse of an deal since you don't get access to the larger intelligence network that US has, and you also have to trust your neighbors with possible sensitive data.
and while accountability never was the strength of the US, it has became unstable and unreliable in the recent years. It would be stupid to just look away and act like it's not happening.
International surveillance, on the other hand, doesn't give two shits about GDPR. Likewise, in the US, they pay private firms and other governments to spy on their own citizens to get around the 4th and 5th Amendments.
Limiting spying to nation-state actors only - and prohibiting cross-border surveillance cooperation - would do an insane amount of good for plugging the data drain.
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2026/01/12/data-protecti...
_potential_ massive fines. At this point in time, GDPR enforcement is a joke.
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"Ignore your eyes and ears; your agency has not been co-opted by some rando who has given themselves authority. You're a happy employee and we're family here until the company needs to pivot and we unceremoniously fire you, and keep your work for our profit." - middle management everywhere
You're just arguing semantics when the ground truth is right in front of our faces. In America obligation is everywhere for no guarantee of healthcare. The American public shows it's true colors by not protesting 24/7 for comprehensive single payer; platitudes, obfuscated euphemisms for "thoughts and prayers", but happy to keep themselves off the hook.
See YouTube videos full of doctors wasting time and training on the phone with insurance employees "just following orders" denying care for treatable conditions.
American public is a joke and collectively useless. Trained to be helpless VHS cassette tapes of "knowledge" regurgitating whatever language they memorized at university.
Now, obviously the US very much likes the idea of selling a bunch of extremely profitable military and intelligence solutions to the EU, but it makes 0 sense.
If the US isn't backing the EU's security, and in some cases may actually be on the other side of a conflict, then it's insane for the EU to be dependent on US defence companies.
They have to bring this all local. We saw this early in the Ukraine war where significant amounts of resources got tied up in complex arrangements where the country that manufactured the equipment had a veto over whether the country who owned the equipment could provide it to Ukraine.
https://www.state.gov/icc-sanctions
Any company operating worldwide that has a base in the US is legally required to cut all ties with these people. Visa, Mastercard, Paypal, Google, Microsoft, and on and on. The US launched a trade nuclear bomb about some minor disagreement with the ICC, desperately trying to defend the war criminal (and just general criminal -- but don't worry, felon Trump is working to make sure he's pardoned for that, just like all the child molesters, drug dealers and sex traffickers that Trump is personally pardoning by the hundreds) Netanyahu.
For this reason alone, every country not the United States or Israel needs to be full bore ahead on replacing every single American dependency. The fact that the US is trying to use this to punish people prosecuting literal war crimes is absolutely disgusting behaviour, and is utterly intolerable. Ignoring that the US government treats American tech companies as extensions of the government (as much or worse than China, it should be noted. Literally enlisted tech executives from a number of companies in the armed forces, as Chairman Trump demands ownership stakes of all of the firms and their business), and the US government is a friend of no one.
And, it's happening. Everything the current pedo cabal is doing is the sort of short-term political win that is going to destroy the future of the US. Americans are still largely blissfully unaware and thinking this cabal of child rapists and self-dealing criminals (I believe Trump just gave himself $10B of taxpayer dollars...not even a murmur in the busted US) are just trolling the world, when really the US will be the biggest victim by far. Enjoy this brief moment of being the shining star, because the collapse is upon you. It turns out that the idiocracy has an expiry date.
[1] - While it shouldn't need to be said, Israel != Jewishness. Further, it isn't an antisemitic slur to note how absolutely Israel has a stranglehold over the US, constantly seeing the latter punching itself in the face in the service of that rogue nation. Utterly bizarre behaviour. The US is Israel's El Salvador, with a clucking crew of simpletons desperately looking for the boss to give them some accolades.
First of all Netanyahu is not a war criminal. He has not been convicted of any war crimes. Even if for a microsecond we entertain the idea that the ICC has any relationship to justice or morality then people are still innocent until proven guilty. At least in the world we want to live in, i.e. not China or Russia or most other countries where freedom and human rights do not exist. And the ICC is a political circus not a real court.
The US is going after the ICC because it perceives the ICC to be working against its interests and for the interests of the non-free/non-democratic world. If the spinless Europeans weren't, eh, spineless, then they would be working with the US here.
It is also totally antisemitic to say Israel has a stronghold over the US. Just because you make a disclaimer doesn't make it less so. Israel has no hold over the US. Last I checked the Saudis and the Qatari have a lot more influence. It just happens that there is an alignment of interests here. The US doesn't wish to yield any sovereignty to these fake and corrupt institutions serving autocratic regimes any more than Israel does. Israel carries its weight in its alliance with the US far more than other so called allies.
Every decent person and country should be standing with other countries that support democracy and freedom. Yes, the current US president and administration are not great, and the current Israeli government ain't great either, but at least in democracies we can replace them. Unlike most of the world that's a) much worse b) people have no voice. So between the option of our imperfect western democracies and the likes of Russia, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, I know what I'm picking. And those are the forces seeking to divide and destroy the west so that they can take over.
Sure. Ignore AIPAC.
Sure, build a false dichotomy that we either support Israel unconditionally or we hate Jews and support every antidemocratic nation in the eastern hemisphere.
Sure, further propagate antisemitism by intentionally conflating any criticism of Israel the government with the religion of Judaism.
I can be critical of Qatar and Saudia Arabia and China and Russia and Israel, for all the necessary reasons.
Weirdly, making this kind of criticism never warranted me a label of anti-Hispanic or anti-Cuban.
You mean American Jewry who uses their money as they see fit?
You do see a difference between Qatari money flooding the US and US money (from the Jews) advocating for things they want?
There is an arrest warrant out for him. He hasn't been convicted, but he should show up at that Hague and defend himself. When literally EVERY SINGLE DEVELOPED COUNTRY but the US and Israel is a member of the ICC, and those two happen to be largely the biggest perpetrators of war crimes, this "political theatre" act falls a bit flat.
Oh look, the US is committing terrorism and blowing up random boats again, even double tapping as yet another war crimin' activity. Howler. What a bastion of goodness. Yeah, positively no one cares what that terroristic plutocracy thinks is right or wrong.
"It is also totally antisemitic to say Israel has a stronghold over the US"
LOL, no it absolutely is not. The fact that Israel-apologists have to do this bit is pathetic business. It's intellectual garbage, immediately dismissible as a distraction.
The US relationship with Israel makes literally zero sense. Israel offers absolutely nothing to the US but geopolitical problems. Nothing. The US constantly burns actually valuable relationships in the service of that nuclear-armed international pariah.
Congresspeople will literally, directly say Israel first. One member proudly wore his Israeli military uniform in the House. Just bizarre, unfathomable behaviour time and time again, and if anyone showed that sort of bizarre loyalty to any other country they would be rightly declared a foreign asset and a traitor. Oh look, congress gave Netanyahu a four minute standing ovation, apparently for his largess of trying to drag the US into wars and demanding US taxpayer dollars. What a great guy.
Bizarre stuff.
As to democracies...are we pretending the US is a democracy, or that it has rules and laws? I suspect the midterms are going to disabuse you of that foolish notion.
Absolutely false. This is standard antisemitic MO. The "Jews" control the media, the "Jews" control the US, The "Jews" control money. This is yet another permutation of the age old antisemitism just s/jews/zionists/ and s/jews/israel/ it's used by the same people and with the same intent belief. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck it's a duck. The intellectual garbage is coming from people who claim this is not antisemitic.
US relationship with Israel makes perfect sense. It started during the cold war when Israel was aligned with the US against the Arab countries aligned with the USSR. The US gets to test its weapons systems and benefit from Israel defense technology know-how. Post 9/11 and with the rise of organizations like ISIS it also benefited the US greatly to have a partner in this unstable region called the middle east.
I'm not aware of any US congress member that has declared their allegiance to Israel trumps their being American. But hey, any single member of any parliament can always be off the rails and the US has no shortage of those. But give me a specific example? What is understandable is that Americans consider Israel and Israelis their friends and allies and at challenging times friends support their friends and not stab them in the back like some have done.
This is that fun catch-22 where Israel-defenders use Jewishness as a pathetic human shield over any criticism of Israel, or relations with the same.
It's worn out its effectiveness. At this point it just looks pathetic.
>Post 9/11 and with the rise of organizations like ISIS it also benefited the US greatly to have a partner in this unstable region called the middle east.
Jordan, Qatar, Iraq, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and on and on. Boy, if only the US had partners in the region. Bases all over the place. What they really need is to coddle the primary antagonist of the region and that should really help!
>friends support their friends
Lets recap all the things Israel has done for the US. I will summarize the entire list below-
...
-fin
This is an entirely one-way relationship. And it's a bizarre, supplicant relationship that just boggles. Try-hard patriots will literally declare "We only fly the American flag"...and then fly an Israeli flag.
Since you're too lazy to look this up I compiled a list for you with the help of AI:
1. Military & Intelligence Benefits
The US military benefits from battle-tested Israeli technology and intelligence in a volatile region.
Missile Defense Architecture: The most prominent example is the Iron Dome. The US invested heavily in its development, and in return, gained access to its technology. The US Army and Marine Corps have purchased Iron Dome batteries and components (such as the Tamir interceptor) for their own air defense needs. Furthermore, the Arrow 3 system (co-developed by Boeing and Israel Aerospace Industries) provides the US with critical data on high-altitude missile interception.
Counter-Terrorism & Urban Warfare: Israel’s experience in urban combat and counter-terrorism has shaped US military doctrine. After 9/11 and during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US military studied Israeli tactics for detecting IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), tunnel warfare, and minimizing civilian casualties in dense urban environments.
Drone Technology: Israel was a pioneer in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). In the 1980s, the US Navy procured Israeli "Pioneer" drones, which were used effectively in the 1991 Gulf War. This technology helped jumpstart the modern US drone program.
Intelligence Sharing: Israel provides the US with high-level human and signals intelligence (HUMINT and SIGINT) regarding the Middle East, Iran’s nuclear program, and terrorist networks, often serving as the "eyes and ears" for the West in areas where the US has limited footprint.
Many technologies ubiquitous in the US economy were developed or significantly advanced by Israeli R&D, often by US companies operating there.
Computing & Semiconductors: Major American tech giants like Intel, Microsoft, Apple, and Google have massive R&D centers in Israel.
Intel Israel was responsible for designing some of the most critical computer processors in history, including the 8088 (the brain of the first IBM PC) and the architecture for modern laptop processors (Centrino/Core) that prioritize power efficiency.
Cybersecurity: Israel is a global hub for cybersecurity. US companies and government agencies frequently rely on Israeli software and expertise to protect critical infrastructure, banking systems, and corporate data from cyberattacks.
Medical Innovation:
PillCam: The swallowable camera for gastrointestinal diagnostics was developed in Israel.
Cancer Treatment: Doxil, the first FDA-approved nano-drug (used for treating various cancers), was developed at Hebrew University.
Multiple Sclerosis: Copaxone, a leading drug for treating MS, was developed by Teva Pharmaceuticals in Israel.
As the US (particularly California and the Southwest) faces water scarcity, it has increasingly adopted Israeli methods.
Water Desalination: Israel is a world leader in desalination and wastewater recycling. The largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere, located in Carlsbad, California, was designed and built by an Israeli company (IDE Technologies) to provide drinking water to San Diego County.
Drip Irrigation: The modern concept of drip irrigation—which saves massive amounts of water by delivering it directly to plant roots—was invented in Israel (by Netafim). This technology is now standard practice in American agriculture, helping US farmers increase yields while reducing water usage.
Return on Aid: A significant portion of the military aid the US provides to Israel (currently under a Memorandum of Understanding) must be spent on purchasing US-manufactured military equipment. This effectively acts as a subsidy for the US defense industrial base, supporting American jobs at companies like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Raytheon.
Corporate Acquisitions: US companies frequently acquire Israeli startups to integrate their technology. For example, Google bought Waze (navigation) for nearly $1 billion, and Intel bought Mobileye (autonomous driving) for $15 billion, bringing that intellectual property and market dominance to US parent companies.Uh...do you think that's the dichotomy? Do you think it's one or the other?
The US has relationships with lots of countries. Give and take relationships.
No other relationships has the sort of pathetic supplicant behaviour that we see with Israel. American politicians are not hoisting Qatar or Saudi Arabia flags. They aren't giving pathetic fawning four minute standing ovations for random criminal leaders of those countries. They aren't saying "Qatar First" or telling their voters that their first order of business is visiting Qatar to show deference. That would be bizarre behaviour that would immediately raise enormous red flags.
What a bizarre take.
I mean it's just a gift. No favors expected in return?
There are absolutely US politicians who are advocating for those other countries.
We already covered the not a criminal until proven guilty angle.
But yes, the US has considered Israel a close ally and friend and its leaders are well received in the US as are US leaders in Israel.
And yes, the not criminal leader of Saudi Arabia who had a journalist chopped up and violates the rights of his people is also received with great honors in the USA.
"Every decent person and country should be standing with other countries that support democracy and freedom." Netanyahu has some problems with the constitutional court in Israel + corruption allegations. If he succeeds, Israel might become authoritarian and though there is a growing antisemitism some Israel consider leaving Israel because of him.
Yes, Israel's democracy is under threat, very much fueled by those same external forces impact other western countries, social media and such.
The interest of the free world. In my opinion. Is to promote freedom and not give power to countries that are not free or democratic (which is most of the world). The UN primarily represents the non-free forces and its institutions similarly the same.
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/523711/Iran-elected-as-vice...
We need to fight for democracy in Israel and the US just the same way we fight for it everywhere.
Currently I see Netanyahu and Trump as very opposing forces to freedom.
What is the difference between a free country and a dictatorship? In a free country even the government can be sued and brought into prison. Netanyahu (might be corrupt) and Trump (who is clearly corrupt) hate this fact. Hence they might be change the free democracies. And supranational justice is one way to make head of the states be responsible for their actions. Hence it is in the interest of the free world to support the ICC etc. And oppose people like Trump and Netanyahu.
There is the problem of the occupied territories (which Israel's law considers occupied in alignment with international practices) where people in limbo due to the unresolved status. That's not apartheid (despite Israeli citizens being treated differently in those territories). Maybe legally and morally questionable but how we got here and why we can't fix this is also relevant.
Ireland and Poland (as well as many other countries) are ethno-states too. Did they stop being democracies?
Last I checked, the vote of israeli non-Jews counted the same way as the israeli Jewish one.
How can Israel be an apartheid state if Arabs in Israel routinely take highest positions in both public and private sector? It makes zero sense.
NH is not reddit or twitter.
But seriously why should we (valid anywhere in Europe) buy such stuff from US, heck even take it for free. We can go straight to China with same logic, would be cheaper and have about the same amount of backdoors or remote kill switches. US admin publicly wished for subversion and dissolution of EU and making whole Europe a weaker continent, something folks like putin would greatly appreciate.
Europol did use a customized version of Gotham from 2016 up until 2022 where they decommissioned it and has replaced it in-house tools.
https://www.statewatch.org/analyses/2025/behind-closed-doors...
https://www.heise.de/en/news/How-Europol-is-cozying-up-to-Mi...
If we here use such tech, maybe we need to come up with our own (just FFS don't buy israeli stuff if we want to have any higher moral ground), its not magic just data analytics. And to be frank, I am more than happy if we don't have such capabilities, we have much more serious topics to focus on like russia probably starting another war in Baltics in few years - thats a real mortal enemy, not some left wing dissidents (unless heavily manipulated by russians but then you don't need palantir's solutions).
Most of the population has very little leverage and is highly manipulated. It's the approach of a few who wield all of the power while the rest of us are either dismayed or distracted.
https://www.republik.ch/suche?q=Palantir
Unusually difficult to find the site, maybe because it’s a small Swiss magazine written in German and I’m in the US doing a search on google. Interestingly, Palantir has a website called Republic that beats Republik in SEO for “Republik”.
"Auch in diesem Fall hätte Palantir gerne mit den Autoren des Berichts zusammengearbeitet, um unseren Ansatz zur Entwicklung und zum Einsatz von Technologien zum Schutz der Privatsphäre und zur Wahrung von Rechten detailliert darzulegen." (In this case too, Palantir would have welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with the report's authors to provide a detailed explanation of our approach to developing and deploying technologies that protect privacy and uphold rights.)
It's not the function of the press to collaborate with the people/companies they write about.
I do hope the Republik gains a few subscribers from this, because they absolutely rule.
It’s not the Bernie, AOC, Ilhan Omar class who’s in the Epstein files. Hell even Elizabeth Warren isn’t in them!
It’s really just one side. The left always will eat its own but in the context of disliking pedophiles they are spotless (in America, Europe is a whole different beast with Foucault et al and his ilk protesting French age of consent laws - but that was far before epsteins time)
> We offer you the option of rejecting individual data processing. If you have made a selection for all processing purposes, you can save it. Please note that consent to personalised advertising is always required for use without a Pur subscription.
Naah, no, you don't get to gate rejecting consent behind a subscription. Not even if that's your economic reality. The GDPR entitles people in Europe to opt out of surveillance capitalism, and if you can't make money in that environment, you deserve to go bankrupt.
Gimme dat shit for free.
> Consent is presumed not to be freely given [..] if the performance of a contract, including the provision of a service, is dependent on the consent despite such consent not being necessary for such performance.
https://noyb.eu/en/pay-or-okay-explained-why-more-and-more-w...
> the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) is working on a binding opinion on 'Pay or Consent', which will determine whether Europeans continue to have a realistic option to protect their privacy online. If the approach is legitimised for Meta, companies across all industries could follow suit - which would mark the end of genuine consent to the use of European's data.