Over 880 Google employees and contractors have joined forces to demand that the company cancel any contracts it may have with US immigration authorities, specifically Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The petition, organized by a group called No Tech for Apartheid, calls on Google's leadership to publicly call for urgent changes to ICE's enforcement tactics and for an internal discussion among workers about the principles guiding their decision-making when selling technology to state authorities.
The move comes in response to recent events, including the fatal shooting of two US citizens by immigration officers in Minneapolis last month. The incident sparked widespread protests and calls for reform within the Trump administration and Congress.
Google has largely remained silent on the issue thus far, with a spokesperson stating that the technologies at issue are basic computing and data storage services available to any customer. However, two Google staff members have spoken out against their company's dealings with ICE, citing concerns over the use of technology to carry out violence and human rights abuses.
The petition is part of a growing trend within the tech industry, with employees at companies such as Palantir and Amazon raising questions about their work with ICE. Last month, over 1,000 people signed a letter urging businesses to dump agencies like ICE due to concerns over their practices.
The No Tech for Apartheid group has been advocating against what they describe as "tech militarism," the integration of corporate tech platforms, cloud services, and AI into military and surveillance systems. The group's efforts aim to pressure companies like Google into taking a more critical stance on their involvement with immigration authorities and promoting urgent changes to ICE's tactics.
The situation highlights the complex relationships between technology companies, government agencies, and the public, particularly when it comes to issues of human rights and national security.
The move comes in response to recent events, including the fatal shooting of two US citizens by immigration officers in Minneapolis last month. The incident sparked widespread protests and calls for reform within the Trump administration and Congress.
Google has largely remained silent on the issue thus far, with a spokesperson stating that the technologies at issue are basic computing and data storage services available to any customer. However, two Google staff members have spoken out against their company's dealings with ICE, citing concerns over the use of technology to carry out violence and human rights abuses.
The petition is part of a growing trend within the tech industry, with employees at companies such as Palantir and Amazon raising questions about their work with ICE. Last month, over 1,000 people signed a letter urging businesses to dump agencies like ICE due to concerns over their practices.
The No Tech for Apartheid group has been advocating against what they describe as "tech militarism," the integration of corporate tech platforms, cloud services, and AI into military and surveillance systems. The group's efforts aim to pressure companies like Google into taking a more critical stance on their involvement with immigration authorities and promoting urgent changes to ICE's tactics.
The situation highlights the complex relationships between technology companies, government agencies, and the public, particularly when it comes to issues of human rights and national security.
they want them to cancel any contracts they have with ICE and CBP like what's next? google is being super quiet about this tho, just saying that tech companies gotta take a stand on human rights and national security stuff 
. I mean, who needs corporate social responsibility when you've got a fat paycheck and some nice cloud storage? It's not like ICE is using this tech for anything nefarious... oh wait, they're doing that too 
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. The petition from No Tech for Apartheid group is totally valid, especially considering all the recent high-profile incidents like that fatal shooting in Minneapolis 
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. Maybe we'll finally start seeing some real change in how these corporations approach their dealings with government agencies 
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Google's silence on ICE is deafening. When 1k+ people sign a letter & employees speak out, it's time for leaders to take notice 
i'm not surprised more ppl in the tech industry are speaking out tho like palantir & amazon employees too it shows that even big companies can't just ignore these issues 
this is all so messed up... how can a company like google just sell tech to people who are hurting others? 
. Two of their staff members have spoken out already, so why isn't the whole company on board? 
, and I'm totally down with the "tech militarism" movement 
. We need more people like them to speak out against these injustices 
The recent move by Google employees to demand an end to their contracts with US immigration authorities is a prime example of this quote coming true. It's clear that some individuals are willing to take a stand, even if it means going against the status quo, in order to promote change and protect human rights. As we navigate complex issues like national security and immigration, it's refreshing to see companies taking responsibility for their actions and advocating for reform. The fact that this movement is part of a growing trend within the tech industry is a positive sign, showing that more people are speaking out against what they believe is morally wrong.
! Like, Google is one of the biggest tech giants in the world and they're just chillin' with ICE? It's crazy that two of their own staff members are speaking out against it, though 
. I mean, can't you imagine if your favorite company was profiting from tech that helped with surveillance or human rights abuses? No thanks 
. Maybe one day we'll see a major tech company take a stand and say, "Hey, we're not gonna do business with ICE anymore!" That would be amazing 
I mean, who would've thought that Google's basic computing services could be used for human rights abuses? 
and I'm loving the momentum behind #NoTechForApartheid movement! 
The fact that they're just saying "our tech is used by anyone" and leaving it at that is literally so dismissive of the real-world consequences of this tech. And what's with the vague statement about "basic computing services"? That's not exactly reassuring, tbh 
? like, google could definitely do more to promote some kind of accountability or transparency in their dealings with immigration authorities, but let's not make this a huge thing out of proportion 
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. The thing is, as a company that's built on tech, they need to get their priorities straight - are we gonna be used to perpetuate human rights abuses or help create positive change? It's not that hard, Google... 
Anyway, I get why they wanna do this petition thingy, but Google has a rep for being all about innovation and progress... not supporting oppressive regimes 
. We should be holding our tech companies accountable for what they do with their power 
. This whole "tech militarism" thing is also super thought-provoking, like, shouldn't our tech companies be using their power to promote positive change instead of profiting from it?