On Wednesday, Google terminated 28 employees, as revealed in an internal memo seen by CNBC. The terminations followed a string of protests concerning labor conditions and Google’s contract to supply cloud computing and artificial intelligence services to the Israeli government and military.
The termination of twenty-eight Google employees occurred just a day after nine others were arrested for trespassing during a sit-in protest at Google offices in New York and Sunnyvale, California, including a demonstration in Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian’s office.
Some of those arrested reported being locked out of their work accounts and offices, placed on administrative leave, and instructed to wait for further communication from human resources before returning to work.
Chris Rackow, Google’s vice president of global security, announced the terminations in a memo, stating that the company had investigated the matter and would take further action as necessary.
The arrests, which were broadcasted on Twitch, followed rallies outside Google offices in New York, Sunnyvale, and Seattle, organized by the “No Tech For Apartheid” group. The protests were centered around Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract between Google, Amazon, and the Israeli government and military for cloud computing services and AI tools.
In response to the terminations, No Tech For Apartheid issued a statement condemning Google’s actions as retaliatory and asserting the right of workers to peacefully protest labor conditions. They claimed that even employees not directly involved in the protests were fired, and criticized Google executives for not addressing their concerns over Project Nimbus despite years of organizing against it.
Protesters remained seated in Kurian’s office in Sunnyvale for over nine hours before their arrests, inscribing their demands on Kurian’s whiteboard and donning shirts emblazoned with “Googler against genocide.” Meanwhile, demonstrators in New York occupied a three-floor common area. Ultimately, five individuals from Sunnyvale and four from New York were taken into custody.
“I personally oppose Google engaging in any military contracts, regardless of the government involved or the specific nature of the contract,” stated Cheyne Anderson, a Google Cloud software engineer located in Washington, during an interview with CNBC on Wednesday. “My stance stems from the fact that Google is a global entity, and regardless of the military it partners with, there will always be individuals affected—individuals who are part of Google’s workforce and user community.” Anderson, who had traveled to Sunnyvale to participate in the protest at Kurian’s office, was among the employees arrested on Tuesday.
A Google spokesperson informed CNBC on Wednesday evening that Google Cloud provides support to various governments worldwide, including the Israeli government, through our readily available cloud computing services. They clarified that our involvement does not extend to handling highly sensitive, classified, or military tasks related to weapons or intelligence services.
Demonstrations highlight Google facing mounting resistance from employees opposed to the military utilization of its AI and cloud technology. In a recent incident, Google Cloud engineer Eddie Hatfield disrupted a keynote speech by the managing director of Google’s Israel business, declaring, “I decline to develop technology enabling genocide.” Hatfield was subsequently terminated. During the same period, Google closed an internal employee message board following discussions about the company’s contracts with the Israeli military, which a spokesperson deemed as “disruptive and divisive content” to the workplace.
Israel initiated a declaration of war and commenced a blockade of Gaza, restricting access to essential resources such as power, food, water, and fuel. According to a statement on Telegram by the enclave’s Health Ministry on Wednesday, at least 33,899 individuals have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip since then. In January, Israel dismissed genocide accusations brought against it by South Africa at the top court of the United Nations.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense reportedly sought consultancy from Google to expand its utilization of Google Cloud services. According to The New York Times, Google Photos is one platform employed by the Israeli government for surveillance in Gaza.
A former Google employee, Ariel Koren, who resigned in 2022 after leading opposition to the Project Nimbus contract, stated to CNBC, “I think what happened yesterday is evidence that Google’s attempts to suppress all voices of opposition to this contract are not only failing but actually backfiring. It’s creating more agitation, anger, and commitment.”
The sit-in in New York commenced at noon ET and concluded around 9:30 p.m. ET. Security requested the removal of a banner spanning two floors about an hour into the protest, as recounted by Hasan Ibraheem, a Google software engineer based in New York City and one of the arrested workers.
Ibraheem expressed to CNBC, “I realized, ‘Oh, the place that I work at is very complicit and aiding in this genocide — I have a responsibility to act against it.’ The fact that I am receiving money from Google and Israel is paying Google — I am receiving part of that money, and that weighed very heavily on me.”
The New York workers were released from the police station after approximately four hours.
The workers were also protesting their labor conditions, specifically urging “that the company stop the harassment, intimidation, bullying, silencing, and censorship of Palestinian, Arab, Muslim Googlers — and that the company address the health and safety crisis workers, especially those in Google Cloud, are facing due to the potential impacts of their work,” according to a release by the campaign.
A Google spokesperson told CNBC Wednesday evening, “A small number of employee protesters entered and disrupted a few of our locations. Physically impeding other employees’ work and preventing them from accessing our facilities is a clear violation of our policies and completely unacceptable behavior. After refusing multiple requests to leave the premises, law enforcement was engaged to remove them to ensure office safety. We have so far concluded individual investigations that resulted in the termination of employment for 28 employees, and will continue to investigate and take action as needed.”
Read More: Google will address issues with its AI picture bot following criticism
Disclaimer:
This content is AI-generated using IFTTT AI Content Creator. While we strive for accuracy, it’s a tool for rapid updates. We’re committed to filtering information, not reproducing or endorsing misinformation. – Jomotoday for more information visit privacy policy
Leave a Comment