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Google fires 28 employees after protest over Israel cloud contract (www.theverge.com)

submitted 7 months ago by AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today to c/technology@lemmy.world

99 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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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[–] jonne@infosec.pub 112 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (5 children)

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

[–] mannycalavera@feddit.uk 38 points 7 months ago (1 children)

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

Would genocide count? 🤔

[–] jonne@infosec.pub 23 points 7 months ago

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

[–] egonallanon@lemm.ee 25 points 7 months ago

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

[–] CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 20 points 7 months ago

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

That includes Palestine, right?

Right?

[–] huginn@feddit.it 14 points 7 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] realbadat@programming.dev 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

It was dropped by alphabet from their handbook.

Almost 10 years ago iirc.

[–] huginn@feddit.it 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] realbadat@programming.dev 5 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

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.

[–] huginn@feddit.it 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] realbadat@programming.dev 0 points 7 months ago (2 children)

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.

[–] howrar@lemmy.ca 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] realbadat@programming.dev 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] howrar@lemmy.ca 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] realbadat@programming.dev 2 points 7 months ago

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.

[–] Saik0Shinigami@lemmy.saik0.com -1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] realbadat@programming.dev 1 points 7 months ago

GOOGLE KEPT IT IN THEIRS.

ALPHABET DID NOT.

Holy shit dude. Read.

[–] Melt@lemm.ee 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Is going on strike considered boycotting?

[–] jonne@infosec.pub 5 points 7 months ago

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