Google justified the firing of 28 employees by stating that they had created a threatening atmosphere among their colleagues. The Gaza war has caused internal disruptions at other tech companies as well. The tension arises from Google’s cloud service sales to the Israeli government, which has led to protests by some employees in various locations.
The protests are primarily focused on Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion deal between the Israeli government and both Google and Amazon Web Services. This cooperation has sparked protests since its inception in July 2021, with the most recent demonstrations triggered by a report indicating an expansion of the collaboration following the Gaza war. Internal documents suggest that Google’s cloud infrastructure may be used by the Israeli military for targeting airstrikes in Gaza.
Employees at Google staged a ten-hour protest at the company’s headquarters, occupying the office of the CEO of the Google Cloud division. The group “No Tech for Apartheid” has been protesting against the Nimbus project for three years, highlighting concerns about Google’s involvement in military activities given the company’s motto of using technology for good.
While Google has previously faced backlash for its collaboration with the military, this time the top management seems determined to stand firm against employee protests. CEO Sundar Pichai emphasized in a blog post that Google is a business and should not be a platform for political debates. The company stated that the Nimbus project does not involve sensitive military content, refuting claims made by protesters.
The Gaza war has also sparked internal tensions at other tech companies, with Apple employees calling on the company to take a stance on the conflict, and Microsoft and Meta censoring internal discussions related to the war. The issue of collaborating with the military has been a recurring point of contention for tech companies, with concerns about ethical implications and the use of technology in warfare.