Google fires 28 employees after protest over Israel cloud contract

AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today to Technology@lemmy.world – 664 points – Google fires 28 employees after sit-in protest over Israel cloud contract
theverge.com

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.”

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“Don’t be evil”

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

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

Would genocide count? 🤔

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

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

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

That includes Palestine, right?

Right?

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.

It was dropped by alphabet from their handbook.

Almost 10 years ago iirc.

My guy I literally worked there and signed the employee handbook. Don't Be Evil was right before you signed if I remember right. Regardless: it is 100% in the handbook.

Alphabet <> Google.

The parent company, Alphabet, removed it from the handbook. I couldn't tell you if they put it back in, but Alphabet removed it about 10 years ago.

This is not some conspiracy theory, it was released, they replaced that section of the handbook.

ETA:

Following Google's corporate restructuring under the conglomerate Alphabet Inc. in October 2015, Alphabet took "Do the right thing" as its motto, also forming the opening of its corporate code of conduct.[1][2][3][4][5] The original motto was retained in Google's code of conduct, now a subsidiary of Alphabet. Between 21 April and 4 May 2018, the motto was removed from the code of conduct's preface and retained in its last sentence.[6]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_be_evil

https://www.engadget.com/2015/10/02/alphabet-do-the-right-thing/

https://www.fastcompany.com/3056389/why-google-was-smart-to-drop-its-dont-be-evil-motto

http://time.com/4060575/alphabet-google-dont-be-evil/

https://web.archive.org/web/20151004012914/https://investor.google.com/corporate/code-of-conduct.html

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-dont-be-evil/254019/

Your memory of the Google handbook isn't really relevant.

The original motto was retained in Google's code of conduct, now a subsidiary of Alphabet. Between 21 April and 4 May 2018, the motto was removed from the code of conduct's preface and retained in its last sentence.[6]

The original motto was retained.

You're mistaking "it's not the first line" with "it got removed"

Linking news articles from click bait sites doesn't help your argument.

Dude.

Please read what I said. ALPHABET.

ALPHABET HAS A DIFFERENT HANDBOOK. I have said this multiple times now.

And I will say again - Alphabet copied the handbook in restructuring then removed it.

The Google handbook IS NOT RELEVANT AT ALL. READ WHAT I WROTE.

The article is about Google. Why does it matter that it's missing from the Alphabet handbook?

They commented "I don't know why people keep saying they removed it".

People say that because it was big news when alphabet, in restructuring, removed/replaced it from their duplicate handbook. It was removed as the Google motto as well, and kept only in the last portion.

So why do people think Google removed it? Becase ten years ago it was big news that Alphabet removed it.

This ain't rocket surgery.

Oh, I see. You're clarifying why jonne thought this was the case, not arguing for why they're correct.

Correct.

Which the other person is consistently ignoring and getting salty about, and selectively ignoring my comments to be mad because "but Google has it in the handbook!" rather than actually read what I said.

Read your own quote dude...

Following Google’s corporate restructuring under the conglomerate Alphabet Inc. in October 2015, Alphabet took “Do the right thing” as its motto, also forming the opening of its corporate code of conduct.[1][2][3][4][5] The original motto was retained in Google’s code of conduct, now a subsidiary of Alphabet. Between 21 April and 4 May 2018, the motto was removed from the code of conduct’s preface and retained in its last sentence.[6]

Bold is my own. "RETAINED IN ITS LAST SENTENCE". Meaning it's not in the preface, but still exists as the last sentence of CoC, presumably the same one the other user claims they signed. THIS IS FROM YOUR OWN SOURCE THAT YOU QUOTED.

Is going on strike considered boycotting?

I guess Google didn't want to risk finding out.

Ok so, “behavior like this has no place in our workplace and we will not tolerate it.”

But secretly selling services to a genocidal ethnostate does belong in the Google workplace and will be tolerated? Palestinians just don’t matter if you can you make a dollar off of their death and destruction??

https://time.com/6966102/google-contract-israel-defense-ministry-gaza-war/

I wonder If they were protesting some other interests such as against iran would they have been fired.... Of course not. Countries and companies are bending over backwards for Israel.

I hope the workers challange this in court.

I don’t want to take anything away from this protest. It worked about as well as everyone hoped. We’re talking about it in an international community. But come on, there was only one way this was going to end and it was with them getting fired regardless of the country/situation. The employees knew this as well, they probably have other jobs lined out already.

Happy to be almost degoogled when I read such things.

If only it was easy to get rid of YouTube..

At least you can use things like NewPipe, or FreeTube (for now).

I might start trying that just to avoid giving money/data to Google. I just wonder if there is an app and if the creators would still get paid. Would someone know?

Nebula is one app I hear yt creators mention often. Specifically FD Signifier and Foreign Man in A Foreign Land, but there are many other creators who use it too. There is also Greyjay, which I think is built specifically for what you are asking.

Yeah I tried Nebula a while ago but sadly it lacked the content I was looking for.

I’m into Linux, cars and basketball and none if these were well represented. Maybe it’s different now.

I’ll have a look at Greyjay.

Peertube with some Patreon support is fine for Linux but not for the other parts too..

Looking for more ideas how to boycott Google.

No longer using Chrome No longer using google search.

Somehow get off Gmail? Android gapps? Delete reviews?

The Proton suite of apps have 1:1 replacements for the entire Gsuite. Some things are locked behind a subscription (email is fully free), so if you're not into that there's NextCloud if you can/want to self-host. Tuta is also a decent Gmail replacement. As for Gapps, there isn't really any good replacements; MicroG breaks a lot of things and sandboxed google play services is the only other alternative (which is only available on GrapheneOS afaik).

The Proton suite of apps have 1:1 replacements for the entire Gsuite

That's just not true, they don't have office applications or video chat. I wish they did though. Also, their storage is pretty expensive.

Their email is pretty good though, and they have a decent VPN service as well.

they don’t have office applications or video chat

Oh right, true. I forget Google has those.

Google Sheets is the last thing really holding my back from abandoning Google. It's just so convenient, and I'm more comfortable with it than LibreOffice. I like that I can edit things on my phone, which I haven't found an alternative for.

OnlyOffice

Does that support something like the GOOGLEFINANCE API, or at least some kind of scripting where I could add it? I really like looking up stock quotes.

There's FOSS apps from fdroid, fairemail or protonmail or something of the sort, CalyxOS or GrapheneOS (ironically targets the Pixel series primarily, though they sometimes sell these at a loss around the holiday season).

Unpopular opinion but boycotting Google doesn't work.

Instead, get real inside the house.

  • Be such a great Contributor to Google Maps.

  • Be a manager of a team.

  • Work on critical systems.

Then casually start breaking shit. Woops, didn't mean to add all this spam to Google maps. Didn't mean to cancel another service. Didn't mean to make search shittyer.

And if you do it correctly, you'll get paid AND nobody will be the wiser since they're already doing all those things.

Poor dude doesn't know google already did this themselves by killing their project teams and bringing a team of summer interns every year to decrease the cloud cost of each app.

They don't have to worry because they already own the market on all these apps so any competitor can be bought out or is doomed to fail.

That way they can spend all their allocated budget on new ventures like Gemini.

For example Google Maps has sucked total ******* **** for a whole ass decade now, and the people who made Android Auto have a special place for them in FOSS hell.

The memo looks like it comes straight out of dystopian novel

How did we get here

What's dystopian about it? Employees violated company policy and they were fired because of it. There are acceptable and unacceptable ways to handle it, and those employees chose to handle it unprofessionally.

If they want to protest on their own time and on public property, they should have every right. But protesting on company property shouldn't have any special protections.

I'm no fan of Google and I think their business choices are despicable, but that doesn't change the fact that first amendment protections do not apply in a typical workplace, they only serve to restrict government action. So it's completely unsurprising that Google fired employees who destroyed company property and disrupted the work environment.

Google PRIDES itself on progressivism and diversity. From transgender visibility to veganism. Google showered Ukrainian and Israeli employees with support and gave them a platform, but Palestinian supporters were left out. Say Ukrainians are dying and google will support you and even donate for you. Protest Google’s military contract that kills Palestinian civilians and violates the company ethics policies and you get fired?

This will blemish google’s reputation for a long time to come. IBM is still in the history books as helping the Nazis.

Google prides itself on making money and attracting top talent. Destructive and disruptive protests negatively impacts both. So AFAICT, they weren't fired for the content of their speech, but the manner in which they chose to express it (i.e. disrupting business).

I doubt they wouldn't can fired for taking time off to protest outside company property, it was likely due to their choice to damage and disrupt work in the buildings.

We all know that’s inconsistent. Let’s start with the fact that if this was just about money, Google wouldn’t be investing money on expensive like green initiatives or large donations to nonprofits.

If employees wanted to take time off to grieve for the LGBT deaths at the Pulse nightclub shooting, the company would have supported them. Would they have done the same for people grieving over dead Palestinian children, or fire them for not meeting their work requirements or ‘disrupting business’? Would Google fire employees who staged a sit-in over anti-Semitism in the workplace?

Google broke their corporate ethics by allying with a military for a lucrative contract; employees SHOULD be calling them out on it.

Google has broken their corporate ethics so many times I lost count. But that's not what's at issue here.

The employees here broke the law by destroying Google property. That's why they were fired, not specifically because of their speech (though I'm sure that motivated a more aggressive response).

I totally agree that employees should be calling them out on it, but they should do so without breaking the law. Protest on public property just outside the building. Raise awareness with fellow employees who may not be aware. Write open letters. But don't break the law, that'll just get you fired and maybe arrested.

Being apolitical is a political stance.

I think it's the part where they are ready to go to the extent of hiring a T800 from the future to kill your mother before you were born

🤓 Employees violated company policy

Goddamn, the boot licking and cock sucking action here could generate a whole new PornHub category

dumbasses should've just sabotaged the project, or stolen as much as they could get away with. maybe leaked it.

I agree.

Their behavior was unacceptable, extremely disruptive, and made coworkers feel threatened

Maybe... because they feel threatened for themselves and their families?

😎👍 joke's on them i fired them from my phone

Same here on my PC, switched to Firefox and using duckduckgo.com to search the web

I decided to try out Kagi, I appreciate duckduckgo for privacy but jeez does it suck at being a search engine. Kagi is trying to be a 1:1 google search but without ads and tracking, you may ask how they operate? They charge 10 bucks a month which is a downside I'm willing to take.

Does the US still have a Fortune 500-wide hiring blacklist for those who publicly criticise Israeli military operations? If so, they may have a hard time finding other employment.

"How dare you protest genocide. The majority of our employees shut the fuck up about us supporting genocide, get in line or get cut."

I am curious about how hard is the Boycot Divest Sanction movement is going to go down on google knowing that Google is the Internet. they seem to focus on Starbucks and McDonald.

McDonald’s and Starbucks are grassroots boycotts. On the BDS webpage they state that HP, Siemens, AXA and Puma are primary targets, as well as fruits & vegetables.

Regarding these boycott lists that exist in the internet they write

The global nature of today’s economy means that there are thousands of companies that have links to Israel and are complicit to various degrees in Israel’s violations of international law. However, for our movement to have real impact we need our consumer boycotts to be easy to explain, have wide appeal and the potential for success. That’s why globally, while we call for divestment from all companies implicated in Israel's human rights violations, we focus our boycott campaigns on a select few strategic targets. We also encourage the principle of context sensitivity, whereby activists in any given context decide what best to target and how, in line with BDS guidelines. There is a lot of information online claiming that some large companies give money to Israel, some of which turns out to be false. BDS has built a reputation for strictly adhering to established facts and producing the most accurate information.

Google would obviously seem like a relevant target given this explanation and their current targets. At the same time, I can also only imagine that it would be more about pressurizing companies to move away from GCP and pressurizing Google to stop the collaboration with the occupation.

There's a whole lotta shit on the net outside the claws of google.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Some of them occupied the office of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian until they were forcibly removed by law enforcement.

Last month, Google fired another employee for protesting the contract during a company presentation in Israel.

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.” You can read the full memo at the bottom of this story.

He also warned that the company would take more action if needed: “The overwhelming majority of our employees do the right thing.

In a response statement, the “No Tech for Apartheid” group behind the protests called Google’s firings a “flagrant act of retaliation.”

“In the three years that we have been organizing against Project Nimbus, we have yet to hear from a single executive about our concerns,” the group wrote in a post on Medium.

The original article contains 303 words, the summary contains 156 words. Saved 49%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

Every employee is bound by the Software Engineering code of ethics.

So does this mean Google has abandoned this.

and at this point open protests are quixotic AF. sabotage or steal.

Not that I am a fan of google, but those people signed a contract that prohibits certain behavior, so I cant really blame the company this time.

Not everything is legal to prohibit

Protesting on company time is certainly one of those things that's legal to prohibit.

only fired 28 employees ? it is insignificant comparing to 12000 layoff last years.

Well...if you believe Blind they are doing more layoffs today.