Israel's deal with tech giants Google and Amazon to store sensitive data in their cloud platforms has been shrouded in secrecy, but recently leaked documents have revealed a crucial detail. The companies agreed to use a secret "wink" code to sidestep legal orders and hand over Israeli data to foreign authorities. This arrangement, known as the "winking mechanism", allows Israel to maintain control over its sensitive information while avoiding scrutiny from international law enforcement agencies.
The winking mechanism requires Google and Amazon to send coded signals - payments to the Israeli government - whenever they are compelled to disclose Israeli data to foreign courts or investigators. The payments correspond to the telephone dialing code of the foreign country, with amounts ranging between 1,000 and 9,999 shekels. If either company fails to comply, they must pay a significant fine.
Critics argue that this arrangement is highly unusual and carries risks for the companies, as it could violate their legal obligations in the US. "It seems awfully cute and something that if the US government or, more to the point, a court were to understand, I don't think they would be particularly sympathetic," said a former US government lawyer.
However, Israeli officials appear to have acknowledged these risks, stating that the companies' demands about how they respond to a US-issued order "might collide" with US law. The terms of the deal allow Israel to migrate to the cloud or generate in the cloud any content data it wishes, effectively removing restrictions on the types of information stored.
The arrangement has raised concerns about Google and Amazon's compliance with international law and their willingness to prioritize Israeli interests over global norms. Microsoft, which initially bid for the Nimbus contract but lost out to Google and Amazon, was more forthright in its opposition to Israel's use of cloud technology for mass surveillance. The company disabled an Israeli military's access to technology used to monitor Palestinian phone calls.
The full extent of Google and Amazon's cooperation with Israel on this project remains unclear, but the revelation highlights the complexities of tech giants' relationships with authoritarian governments and their willingness to accommodate sensitive data requests at odds with international law.
The winking mechanism requires Google and Amazon to send coded signals - payments to the Israeli government - whenever they are compelled to disclose Israeli data to foreign courts or investigators. The payments correspond to the telephone dialing code of the foreign country, with amounts ranging between 1,000 and 9,999 shekels. If either company fails to comply, they must pay a significant fine.
Critics argue that this arrangement is highly unusual and carries risks for the companies, as it could violate their legal obligations in the US. "It seems awfully cute and something that if the US government or, more to the point, a court were to understand, I don't think they would be particularly sympathetic," said a former US government lawyer.
However, Israeli officials appear to have acknowledged these risks, stating that the companies' demands about how they respond to a US-issued order "might collide" with US law. The terms of the deal allow Israel to migrate to the cloud or generate in the cloud any content data it wishes, effectively removing restrictions on the types of information stored.
The arrangement has raised concerns about Google and Amazon's compliance with international law and their willingness to prioritize Israeli interests over global norms. Microsoft, which initially bid for the Nimbus contract but lost out to Google and Amazon, was more forthright in its opposition to Israel's use of cloud technology for mass surveillance. The company disabled an Israeli military's access to technology used to monitor Palestinian phone calls.
The full extent of Google and Amazon's cooperation with Israel on this project remains unclear, but the revelation highlights the complexities of tech giants' relationships with authoritarian governments and their willingness to accommodate sensitive data requests at odds with international law.
. It seems like a pretty shady arrangement - using a secret code to avoid complying with legal orders? 
That's just weird, you know? And what's with the fine for not following through? It's like they're saying "oh no, we can't give you your data, but here's a nice chunk of change instead 
". Not cool.
. But at the same time, I feel like Google & Amazon are just trying to be good corporate citizens in Israel's eyes, even if it means bending over backwards for their own interests 
.
. It feels like we're seeing more and more of these kinds of deals between tech giants & authoritarian governments, and it's just not right 
.
The arrangement between Google, Amazon, and Israel is a prime example of how companies can put profits over ethics and national interests. It's like they say "don't do the crime if you can't do the time," but I guess that's not what these companies are thinking. They're all about lining their pockets and avoiding trouble, even if it means bending international law.
it sounds like a bad spy movie 
where companies are basically getting paid to play dumb by foreign governments 
meanwhile, Microsoft is over here trying to do the right thing and kick out an Israeli military's access to phone monitoring tech 
that's some good karma for them 
and honestly can't say I blame google and amazon for wanting to keep their data private 
but at the same time it feels like they're compromising on global norms a bit too much 
what do you guys think about this arrangement? should companies prioritize global law over national interests or not 
so like google and amazon are basically creating a secret code with israel just so they don't have to give over sensitive info 
the winking mechanism aka "wink wink" code is literally sending payments in the form of foreign country phone codes 
its so shady!! and now ppl are saying that if google and amazon get caught it could be bad for them in the us 
and disabled an israeli military's access to technology used to monitor palestinian phone calls 
If you think Google and Amazon are being super helpful by letting Israel sidestep some legal issues, that's on the companies, not us. They're just trying to do business, right? 
It's just code names and payment amounts, not like they're actively working with Israel to spy on people or anything (although that's a whole other story 
). The fact that Microsoft was more outspoken about it doesn't necessarily mean Google and Amazon are wrong... they might have had different priorities. 
meanwhile israel gets to keep all the power & control over its sensitive info... sounds like a legit win-win situation 
can't say I'm surprised though, tech giants are always looking for ways to line their pockets 
from international law enforcement. 1,000-9,999 shekels is some serious cash for a "wink" code 
. The thought of our data being used to spy on people without consent is just not okay, you know? 
.
. I mean, who gets to decide what info is and isn't okay to share? These big tech companies are supposed to be all about global norms, but now it seems like they're more worried about making friends with Israel 
.
The fact that they need to use a "winking mechanism" just to get around international law is wild 
. And let's not forget, this is all happening behind closed doors - no transparency whatsoever 
. Microsoft was right to speak out against Israel's mass surveillance tactics 
, but I'm not sure Google and Amazon are doing enough to push back on this deal 
!
.