Google Terminates 28 Employees over Israeli Government Contract Protest

Google terminated 28 employees who took part in a protest against the company’s contract with the Israeli government, a spokesperson announced. The demonstration, organized by the group “No Tech for Apartheid,” opposed Google’s joint project with Amazon called “Project Nimbus,” which provides cloud services to the Israeli government for $1.2 billion. Video footage showed police arresting Google workers during the protest at the office of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian in Sunnyvale, California.

The protests also took place in New York and Seattle, with workers holding signs that read “Googlers against genocide.” The group’s protest was prompted by a reported draft contract between Google and the Israeli Ministry of Defense for security services worth over $1 million. Despite the disruptions caused by a small number of protesters at some Google offices, a spokesperson emphasized that the protests were primarily led by individuals outside of Google.

After several requests for protesters to leave the premises, law enforcement intervened to ensure their safety. As of now, 28 employees have been fired due to individual investigations, with ongoing investigations and necessary actions still being taken. The spokesperson clarified that Google provides cloud services to various governments, including Israel, but their collaboration with Project Nimbus does not involve sensitive or military-related workloads.

The protests and subsequent employee terminations highlight tensions surrounding Google’s business dealings with governments and organizations, prompting discussions on ethical considerations and corporate responsibility.