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USA Today’s Owner Is Partnering with Palantir to Monetize Readers' Data. Journalists Nationwide Aren't Happy
The media chain said the partnership will help it turn reader signals into actionable intelligence as monthly unique visitors fell by 22 million.
On Thursday, USA Today Co. announced a partnership with AI firm Palantir to monetize reader data, prompting more than 800 employees across 31 unionized newsrooms to demand dissolution of the deal on Monday.
Palantir is known for military targeting software and immigration enforcement tools, and is founded by tech oligarch Peter Thiel, a self-declared skeptic of democracy, raising conflict-of-interest concerns.
Employees expressed concerns that the partnership undermines trust in news outlets regularly covering the government agencies Palantir supports, while fearing data security risks to sensitive source information.
USA Today CEO Mike Reed defended the move as a business decision strengthening audience engagement, while vice president of labor relations Amy Garrard stated editorial independence remains guided by longstanding journalistic standards.
Industry-Wide struggles to monetize content amid declining search traffic prompted the deal, though reporters fear these shifts may jeopardize the safety of sensitive source information in coming months.
USA Today cooperates with Palantir to analyze user data with AI and increase revenue. Palantir is known for its close ties with intelligence services and the military, but also supports humanitarian operations.