Google Terminates 28 Employees Over Protests Against Israeli Government Contract
Google announced on Thursday that it had terminated 28 employees who participated in protests against the company’s cloud contract with the Israeli government. The Alphabet unit stated that a small number of protesting employees disrupted work at unspecified office locations, leading to their termination.
Investigations and Actions Taken
Google stated that physically impeding other employees’ work and preventing access to facilities is a violation of company policies and unacceptable behavior. Following individual investigations, the company terminated the 28 employees involved and emphasized its commitment to further investigations and necessary actions.
Protests and Allegations
Employees affiliated with the No Tech for Apartheid campaign criticized Google’s actions as a “flagrant act of retaliation.” They argued that protesting workers have the right to voice concerns about labor conditions. The protesting faction specifically raised concerns about Project Nimbus, a contract with the Israeli government for cloud services, alleging support for the development of military tools.
Google, however, clarified that the Nimbus contract does not involve highly sensitive or military-related workloads pertaining to weapons or intelligence services.
History of Protests at Google
This is not the first time Google employees have protested against company contracts. In 2018, workers successfully influenced the company to cancel a contract with the U.S. military, known as Project Maven, which aimed to analyze aerial drone imagery for potential military applications.