memo
by Ryan Quick
In May 2021, Google signed a contract to build a cloud computing system in Israel.Project Nimbus” was concluded. However, four months before the deal was signed, it was revealed that Google’s legal and policy teams and outside consultants were concerned that the deal could involve human rights violations.
Google Worried Israeli Contract Could Enable Human Rights Violations – The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/03/technology/google-israel-contract-project-nimbus.html
Documents Contradict Google’s Claims About Its Project Nimbus Contract With Israel
https://theintercept.com/2024/12/02/google-project-nimbus-ai-israel/
Abolitionist Law Center Reports to UN: Amazon and Google Complicit in Israel’s Genocide and Apartheid against Palestinians – Abolitionist Law Center
https://abolitionistlawcenter.org/2024/12/02/abolitionist-law-center-reports-to-un-amazon-and-google-complicit-in-israels-genocide-and-apartheid-against-palestinians/
Project Nimbus, a cloud computing project jointly provided by Google and Amazon for the Israeli government and military, is a seven-year contract signed in May 2021.
Project Nimbus primarily provides data center and cloud services for Israeli government agencies. Specifically, we provide processing power to run applications and AI tools, technology that analyzes images and videos to detect objects, large-scale data storage services, and even general services such as Google’s video conferencing system. Also includes software services.
In terms of revenue, the largest revenue from the Israeli Ministry of Defense is expected to be approximately $525 million (approximately 78 billion yen) for the period from 2021 to 2028. This far exceeds the expected revenue of $208 million (approximately 31 billion yen) from the central government. Including revenue from local governments and medical institutions, the total project revenue is expected to be approximately $1.26 billion (approximately 190 billion yen).
However, this project caused great controversy. According to Google’s internal documents, even before the contract was signed, it was pointed out that the contract included “sensitive customers” such as the Israeli Ministry of Defense and Israeli security agencies, which could lead to human rights violations. There were concerns that Google’s cloud services could be used to commit human rights abuses, particularly in relation to Israeli activities in West Jordan.
In addition, complex risks were pointed out, such as potential conflicts with international laws and regulations regarding contracts, and the response to requests from foreign countries and international organizations regarding Israeli data. Google’s human rights consulting firm recommended limiting the provision of AI to the Israeli military and monitoring its use of the technology, but the final contract included no such restrictions.
by Chris Devers
Furthermore, the foreign media The Intercept points out the existence of internal documents that show that Google’s assertion that “general terms and conditions apply” is not true.
In an internal email sent on December 10, 2020, Google lawyer Edward du Boulay warned that “we must accept “non-negotiable contract terms” that are favorable to the Israeli government.” It was also revealed that the Israeli government had the right to unilaterally change the terms of the contract, and Google had little ability to sue Israel for violations of permitted use.
And Israeli government contract documents indicate that Google’s standard terms of service do not apply, but instead that “coordinated terms of use” with the Israeli government apply. Although the specific contents of this “adjusted terms of use” have not been disclosed, it states that the Israeli government is “free to use any service included in the provider’s service catalog.”
Additionally, Project Nimbus’s “digital marketplace” document specifies that “systems and information of all types, including highly sensitive and critical systems” can be migrated to the service, which Google claims This contradicts the previous explanation that “highly classified military work and intelligence services are not covered.”
by Gwen Fran
Although the Project Nimbus contract is still ongoing at the time of writing, there is growing opposition within and outside Google, especially regarding the war in the Gaza Strip starting in October 2023, and protests have been held by employees. Approximately 50 employees have been laid off.
More than 50 former Google employees who were fired for protesting Google’s business relationship with Israel have filed a complaint with regulators alleging illegal retaliation, with some even saying they were fired for simply watching the protests – GIGAZINE
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