{
  "id": 20183350,
  "title": "How sensitive data from Centrelink and other Australian agencies may have been fed to Palantir software",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/15/how-sensitive-data-from-centrelink-and-other-australian-agencies-may",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-11-15T14:00:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian Australia",
    "slug": "the-guardian-australia",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/nov/16/personal-data-centrelink-ato-ndis-palantir"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sensitive information from Centrelink clients, taxpayers, and childcare workers may be entering Palantir's surveillance software in Australia, according to new documents obtained through a freedom of information request. Palantir's software is utilized by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) as part of a multi-agency fraud fusion taskforce established in 2022. The taskforce aims to combat fraud in government payments from sectors such as disability insurance, childcare, and welfare.\n\nAt least 10 government agencies are sharing sensitive data with the ACIC, which could potentially feed into Palantir's software. The controversial US tech company, founded by Peter Thiel, has clients including the Israeli military and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Despite Palantir's claims that it has no access to the data entered into the software, calls have been made for a ban on Palantir contracts with the Australian government.\n\nThe fraud fusion centre, led by ACIC and Services Australia, holds \"large volumes of information, data, and intelligence\" from various agencies relevant to its work. The collected data includes personal details such as names, dates of birth, proof of ID information, addresses, telephone numbers, Centrelink claims, income and asset details, and surveillance material held by the agency.\n\nServices Australia noted that each disclosure to the ACIC is considered individually, with only two disclosures in the current financial year compared to 21 in 2025-26 and 47 in 2024-25. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) made 758 disclosures to the taskforce between November 2022 and July 2026, but tax file numbers are not disclosed due to legal constraints. The ATO stated that this information was disclosed where it was \"lawfully able\" to do so under the terms of a memorandum of understanding.",
  "summary": "Exclusive: Personal information of Centrelink clients and childcare workers is among data shared with ACIC, which uses US tech company’s software The personal information of Centrelink customers, taxpayers and childcare workers is among a trove of sensitive data that may be ending up in Palantir’s surveillance software in Australia, without the departments responsible for the information even…",
  "key_points": [
    "Sensitive data from 10 Australian agencies shared with ACIC.",
    "Palantir software used by ACIC in fraud fusion taskforce.",
    "Calls for ban on Palantir contracts with Australian government."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}