Article Summary

The article reveals that the State Department's new 'Freedom Tech Excellence Program' includes partnerships with Palantir and Anduril—companies with strong ties to surveillance and military technology—raising doubts about the program's credibility in promoting digital freedom. It highlights the contradiction between claiming to support free speech and choosing companies that have been involved in lawsuits against journalists and built tools for government surveillance. The piece encourages skepticism by pointing out the history of these firms and questioning the sincerity of the initiative.