Google fires 28 employees after sit-in protest over Israel cloud contract
www.theverge.com
The employees were protesting against “Project Nimbus.”

Google fired 28 employees in connection with sit-in protests at two of its offices this week, according to an internal memo obtained by The Verge. The firings come after 9 employees were suspended and then arrested in New York and California on Tuesday.

In a memo sent to all employees on Wednesday, Chris Rackow, Google’s head of global security, said that “behavior like this has no place in our workplace and we will not tolerate it.”

He also warned that the company would take more action if needed: “The overwhelming majority of our employees do the right thing. If you’re one of the few who are tempted to think we’re going to overlook conduct that violates our policies, think again. The company takes this extremely seriously, and we will continue to apply our longstanding policies to take action against disruptive behavior — up to and including termination.”

  • jonne@infosec.pubEnglish
    2·
    2 months ago

    They dropped that one quietly a couple of years ago. I guess around the time they started doing contracts for Israel?

    Edit: just Googled what this project nimbus is all about, and it sounds like basically building data centres in Israel, which is fair enough, but it ends with this titbit:

    The terms Israel set for the project contractually forbid Amazon and Google from halting services due to boycott pressure.[7][8] The tech companies are also forbidden from denying service to any particular government entities.[8]

    That’s not something you put in your contract unless you’re planning on doing something that’ll attract boycotts

    • mannycalavera@feddit.ukEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      That’s not something you put in your contract unless you’re planning on doing something that’ll attract boycotts

      Would genocide count? 🤔

      • jonne@infosec.pubEnglish
        2·
        2 months ago

        Unfortunately it doesn’t appear to be enough for most western countries.

    • egonallanon@lemm.eeEnglish
      1·
      2 months ago

      I mean for many (myself included) setting up shop in Israel is reason enough for boycotting an organisation.

    • CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      1·
      2 months ago

      The tech companies are also forbidden from denying service to any particular government entities.

      That includes Palestine, right?

      Right?

    • huginn@feddit.itEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      They didn’t drop it. It was still in the handbook in 2022 when I signed it.

      People like to claim they dropped it: but it’s still there.

      Now since I was laid off in the mass 2023 wave I can’t speak to it’s current state but I’d be shocked if they removed it.