Google terminated 28 employees following protests at two of its offices on April 16. The protests were in response to Google’s involvement with the Israeli government in a project known as “Project Nimbus,” which focuses on cloud-computing services.
Police were called after employees staged sit-in protests at offices in New York and Sunnyvale, California, resulting in the arrest of nine employees, Google confirmed.
Project Nimbus, a $1.2 million contract signed in 2021, provides cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) services to the Israeli government through a collaboration between Google and Amazon. Google clarified that the program is not used for military or intelligence purposes.
The protests were primarily organized by the activist group No Tech For Apartheid, which includes tech workers and organizers from MPower Change and Jewish Voice for Peace.
In a statement, Google cited “completely unacceptable behavior” as the reason for firing the 28 employees, stating that it caused severe disruption and a threatening environment.
The company is currently investigating the situation, which may lead to further terminations, according to the statement.
No Tech For Apartheid refuted Google’s allegations, claiming that the sit-ins were peaceful and received praise from uninvolved employees.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai hinted at stricter policies in a blog post on April 18, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a professional environment without distractions.
Google’s cloud-computing division, led by Thomas Kurian, has seen significant revenue growth, reaching $33 billion in 2023.
This is not the first time Google employees have protested against company decisions, as seen in the termination of the “Project Maven” contract with the U.S. Department of Defense in 2018.
Despite internal controversies, Google’s financial success remains strong, with parent company Alphabet Inc. reporting a $74 billion profit last year and a growing workforce of over 180,000 employees worldwide.
However, the company has faced legal challenges related to data protection and advertising practices in various regions.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
