New records show Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have thousands of previously unreported military and law enforcement contracts
www.businessinsider.com
Rank-and-file tech employees have pressured their employers to drop military contracts in recent years.
  • @worldCritic
    3•4 years ago

    Employees at Amazon and Microsoft have petitioned both companies to drop their contracts with ICE and the military, but neither company has caved to the demands.

    That’s very typical of those two companies. MS & Amazon simply flips the middle finger to their employees, routinely. They don’t even pretend to give a shit.

    Google is a bit different. Google usually listens to their employees, and they back out when there’s enough pressure (e.g. project Maven). But I know of one case where Google got caught secretly going back to work on a project that they publicly renounced. So Google can be sneaky and it’s unclear to me how often Google just goes into stealth mode amid PR maneuvering. It can’t be easy for them to keep a whole project or contract secret.

    I’ve not read the article in detail yet but will be interesting to see what Google is involved in.

      • @worldCritic
        1•4 years ago

        That article is from 2018, when Google was still working project Maven. After protests, Google opted not to renew the contract.

        Google did the right thing in that case, unless you know of some operation for Google to stealthily continue the contract (which is what happened with Google’s anti-immigration ICE contract).

        • @TheAnonymouseJokerOPM
          1•4 years ago

          It is not conspired that Google is working with US military under a new project name. All US companies have done this repeatedly in the past and still do this. “Project Maven” being shut down is a publicity stunt, very much like how Apple’s non-cooperation in San Ferdandino shooter case was fake. Blind people still believe Apple is a privacy messiah.

          • @worldCritic
            1•4 years ago

            “Project Maven” being shut down is a publicity stunt

            Citation needed. This sounds like speculation. Your link failed because the article was written before the Maven non-renewal announcement.

            • @TheAnonymouseJokerOPM
              0•4 years ago

              It is a speculation, but not too far fetched, as can be seen with other key US companies doing the same, and even with Google’s own ICE contract.

              It is not a conspiracy theory when evidence exists of a similar intentional behaviour or pattern in the past.