Google Employees Say Yeah Baby No to ICE Contracts

Not My Cup of Tea Google's ICE Dealings Cause a Stir

Well hello there it's Austin Powers reporting live from the front lines of technological ethics. It seems a gaggle of Google gurus – over 900 to be precise – are feeling rather 'uncool' about their company's involvement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). These Google dudes and dudettes have penned a rather strongly worded letter demanding transparency and a swift end to these 'icky' partnerships. They're not just saying 'Oh behave,' they're saying 'Oh divest'

Shag Me Not the AI Ethics Quandary

These concerned coders are rather miffed about Google's tech seemingly aiding what they deem to be some rather unsavory activities. The letter alleges that Google Cloud is helping CBP with surveillance and that Google is powering Palantir's ImmigrationOS system which is used by ICE. And it seems that Google's generative artificial intelligence is also being used by CBP which seems a bit much baby. For another take on law enforcement and morality you can check out this article: GRU Deputy Head Shot in Moscow A Witcher's Perspective. A different world but a similar ethical problem.

Yeah Baby Google's Role in Surveillance and Repression Questioned

The letter pulls no punches claiming and I quote "Google is powering this campaign of surveillance violence and repression." That's a rather serious accusation even for a super spy like myself. They're essentially arguing that Google's technological prowess is being used for shall we say less than groovy purposes. It's like Dr. Evil using the Internet to order kittens…except you know not kittens.

Groovy? Jeff Dean's Words Ring Hollow

Adding a touch of irony to the mix the employees quoted Google Chief Scientist Jeff Dean from early January who said "We all bear a collective responsibility to speak up and not be silent when we see things like the events of the last week." It seems the employees are taking Mr. Dean's words to heart and they're not being silent baby They're calling on Google to acknowledge the dangers host emergency Q&As implement safety measures and most importantly reveal all ties with these government agencies.

Not the Swinging Sixties Google's Place in History Under Scrutiny

The letter concludes with a rather pointed statement saying "Google is now a prominent node in a shameful lineage of private companies profiting from violent state repression." Ouch. That's a burn hotter than my mojo after a night out. They're urging their fellow Googlers to demand an end to this 'disgraceful use of our labor.' It's a serious accusation and it will be interesting to see how Google responds. The company did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.

Out of Our Cities the Growing Pressure on Tech CEOs

This letter comes amidst mounting pressure on tech CEOs to speak out against ICE. Just two weeks prior employees from Amazon Spotify Meta and more penned a similar missive demanding ICE 'out of our cities'. It appears the winds of change are blowing and these tech titans are facing some rather intense scrutiny from their own ranks. Stay tuned baby because this story is far from over.