600+ Google employees are pushing for the company to end its association with an Israeli tech conference.
WIRED Reviews Letter Signed by Hundreds of Google Employees, Urging Company to Discontinue Sponsorship of MindTheTech Conference, Promoting Israeli Tech Companies in New York
Google Workers Demand Company to Drop Sponsorship of Tech Conference Promoting Israeli Tech Industry
Over 600 Google workers have signed a letter addressed to Google marketing leadership, calling for the company to withdraw its sponsorship of Mind the Tech, an annual conference that promotes the Israeli tech industry. The conference, held in New York, kicked off on Monday with various industry-focused lectures and will conclude on Tuesday with an evening gala.
The letter, which was seen by ENBLE, urges Google to withdraw from the event, issue an apology, and stand in solidarity with its employees and customers who express concern over the loss of life in Gaza. The letter acknowledges the devastating attacks by Hamas militants, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 Israelis, while also emphasizing that Israel’s military campaign in response has caused significant casualties among Palestinians, surpassing 30,000 deaths as of March 4.
The conference faced disruption on Monday when Barak Regev, the managing director of Google Israel, was interrupted by a Google Cloud software engineer shouting about surveillance and genocide. The engineer expressed that such actions were part of their engineering work and hoped that it would inspire others to take a stand. Both the engineer and an organizer from anti-Zionist Israeli groups were swiftly removed from the event. Interestingly, the correspondent from Hell Gate, who authored this article, was also asked to leave without explanation.
It was revealed that Google was a “gold” sponsor of Mind the Tech, although the exact financial commitment is unclear. No comment has been provided by Google on this matter. The conference featured other speakers, including New York mayor Eric Adams, Jerusalem mayor Moshe Lion, and former NSA director Michael Rogers.
👉 Q&A: What are the concerns raised by Google workers? – Q: Why are Google workers demanding the company to withdraw its sponsorship of Mind the Tech? – A: Google workers are concerned about the loss of life in Gaza and want Google to stand with them and their customers. They believe that sponsoring a conference that promotes the Israeli tech industry is contradictory to the overwhelming loss of life in the region.
Zelda Montes, a software engineer at YouTube, attended a protest outside the conference on Monday. She emphasized the importance of worker solidarity in light of Israeli AI technologies being used for surveillance and what she described as the genocide of the Palestinian people. Montes hopes that Google workers can turn to each other and explore collective actions against tech oppression.
The internal letter calling for Google to drop its participation in Mind the Tech was initially shared within Google on February 29. It was co-written by organizers for No Tech for Apartheid, a campaign group advocating for an end to Project Nimbus—a $1.2 billion cloud computing contract between Israel’s government and Google and Amazon. The group raised concerns that the Nimbus contract could potentially enable US cloud technologies, including artificial intelligence tools, to be utilized for military purposes. Leaked documents suggest that Project Nimbus tools could be used for surveillance, an integral aspect of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.
The letter demanding Google to disassociate from Mind the Tech was distributed via internal employee mailing lists dedicated to discussing ethics in company contracts, as well as several mailing lists for Muslim, Arab, and anti-Zionist Google employees. It garnered support from various Google employees, including full-time workers, as well as temporary employees, vendors, and contractors.
✨ Insight: Growing Opposition to Google’s Work with Israel’s Government In 2021, 90 Google workers and 300 Amazon workers published an open letter in the Guardian expressing their opposition to Project Nimbus. The circulation of the new internal letter within Google implies that the opposition to the company’s collaboration with Israel’s government has increased, particularly following the events of October 7.
👉 Q&A: How has opposition to Google’s work with Israel grown? – Q: What is the significance of the open letter published in the Guardian by Google and Amazon workers in 2021? – A: In 2021, 90 Google workers and 300 Amazon workers jointly authored an open letter published in the Guardian, expressing their opposition to Project Nimbus. The recent internal letter within Google indicates that opposition to the company’s collaboration with Israel’s government has continued to grow, especially in light of the events that occurred on October 7.
Mohammad Khatami, a software engineer for Google and signatory of the letter, emphasizes that tech workers must prioritize understanding how their work affects not only users but also people on the ground. He believes that Palestinians, many of whom are Google users, are at risk due to the technology produced by the company.
This ongoing situation highlights the challenges faced by technology companies as they navigate complex social and political issues, particularly when their actions and partnerships become subjects of intense scrutiny. As events unfold, it remains to be seen how Google will respond to the demands of its workers and the wider implications of their decisions.
💡 Closing Thoughts The situation involving Google’s participation in the Mind the Tech conference sheds light on the growing concerns surrounding the ethical considerations of technology companies and their partnerships. As employees become more vocal and advocacy groups gain traction, companies are being pressured to reassess their allegiances and the potential impact their technology might have on various communities. Striking a balance between innovation, business interests, and social responsibility becomes more challenging in these circumstances.
📚 References – Israeli Tech Industry Conference Faces Opposition from Google Workers – Project Nimbus: Concerns About Google’s Collaboration With Israel’s Government – Google and Amazon Workers Express Opposition to Project Nimbus – No Tech for Apartheid Campaign: Advocacy Against Unethical Contracts – Ethical Considerations for Tech Companies in Partnering With Governments
If you found this article insightful, share it with your friends and colleagues on social media. Let’s spark a conversation about the role of technology companies in promoting ethical practices and social responsibility. 💻🌍✨
