Tech giant Google fired 28 employees following protests against a cloud computing contract with the Israeli government. The terminations come after a tense standoff between the company and its workforce aligned with the "No Tech for Apartheid" movement.
The employees, who participated in sit-ins at Google offices in New York and California, opposed Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion joint venture with Amazon to provide cloud services to Israel. They argued that the technology could be used to support Israeli military operations in the Palestinian territories, which they view as discriminatory and oppressive.
Google, however, maintained that Project Nimbus is for general cloud services and would not be used for weaponry or intelligence gathering. The company emphasized that the employees' actions, which included occupying office buildings and disrupting operations, violated its internal policies.
"We respect our employees' right to express themselves," a Google spokesperson said in a statement. "However, that right does not extend to disrupting the workplace or impeding others from doing their jobs. After repeated requests to leave, we were unfortunately forced to involve law enforcement to remove the employees who were obstructing access to our facilities."
The terminations have drawn sharp criticism from pro-Palestinian activists and some Google employees. The Alphabet Workers Union, a labor group representing Google employees, accused the company of retaliatory actions and stifling dissent.
"These firings are an outrageous attempt to silence criticism of Google's collaboration with the Israeli government," said a representative from the Alphabet Workers Union. "Google is putting profits ahead of human rights, and we will not stand idly by while they contribute to oppression."
The incident has reignited discussions about the ethical implications of big tech companies working with governments accused of human rights abuses. Critics argue that by providing technology and cloud services, these companies become complicit in the actions of those governments.
Google, like other tech giants, has faced increasing pressure to be more transparent and accountable for its business practices. The company has its own set of ethical principles, but the recent firings raise questions about how committed Google is to upholding them when its commercial interests are at stake.
The fallout from the protests is likely to continue, with potential legal challenges from the fired employees and ongoing scrutiny from activists and labor groups. The episode underscores the growing tension between employee activism and corporate interests in the tech industry.