No Tech for Apartheid w/ Mohammad Khatami & Gabi Schubiner
Aug 29, 2024
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Mohammad Khatami and Gabi Schubiner, former Google software engineers and key figures in the No Tech for Apartheid movement, delve into the unsettling role of tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft in supporting oppressive regimes. They discuss the ethical dilemmas surrounding Project Nimbus, highlighting its impact on the Israeli military. The guest speakers emphasize the need for tech workers to unite against corporate complicity in human rights abuses, showcasing personal narratives and the urgency of activism in an increasingly precarious tech landscape.
The podcast highlights the complicity of major tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft in providing infrastructure for Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Tech workers are increasingly organizing against unethical corporate partnerships, as they connect their roles to the broader implications of human rights violations.
A culture of fear in tech firms hampers dissent, yet the growing solidarity among workers signifies a potential shift towards ethical resistance.
Deep dives
The Complicity of the Tech Industry in the Israeli Campaign
The tech industry's role in supporting the Israeli military campaign in Gaza is significant, as companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft provide essential technological infrastructure. There are alarming reports detailing how the Israeli military has utilized cloud services and AI technologies from these firms since the signing of the Project Nimbus contract. This contract, valued at $1.2 billion, obligates these companies to establish data centers in Israel and furnish cloud products to the Israeli government and military. The implications of this collaboration are dire, with organized efforts by tech workers advocating against these relationships to hold their employers accountable for their complicity in the unfolding humanitarian crisis.
The Rise of Worker Organizing in Tech
Worker organizing within the tech sector has gained momentum, particularly following events in Gaza that have heightened awareness of corporate complicity in human rights violations. Organizers at Google, like Mahabha Kitami and Gabi Shubiner, have sought to galvanize support from colleagues to oppose contracts such as Project Nimbus. The impact of recent events has fostered a sense of urgency among tech workers, motivating them to collaborate on initiatives like No Tech for Apartheid. While the prevailing culture of fear and repression from management poses significant challenges, the increasing solidarity among workers signifies a potential shift towards more organized resistance against unethical corporate policies.
Challenges Faced by Organizers in Tech Companies
The challenges faced by organizers in tech companies like Google include a pervasive culture of fear instigated by management to suppress dissent and criticism. Retaliation against those who speak out is common, with reports of firings and harassment escalating since the escalation of violence in Gaza. Additionally, the perception of tech workers as privileged can complicate their collective identity as part of a broader labor movement, making it difficult to mobilize support on ethical grounds. Organizers strive to build relationships and community among workers to counteract these barriers, emphasizing the importance of collective action to foster a sense of empowerment and agency.
Project Nimbus and Its Humanitarian Implications
Project Nimbus signifies a troubling partnership between major tech companies and the Israeli military, which has resulted in the use of advanced technological tools in military operations. These technologies facilitate large-scale data processing and cloud computing, significantly enhancing the capabilities of the Israeli forces during the ongoing conflict. Workers involved in organizing campaigns have highlighted how this relationship potentially extends the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as technological advancements contribute to the efficiency of military operations. Awareness of the profound human costs of these corporate partnerships has galvanized resistance among tech workers, compelling them to advocate for ethical practices.
The Future of Labor Organizing in the Tech Sector
The future of labor organizing in the tech sector appears increasingly promising as awareness around ethical considerations in workplace practices grows. Historical examples of successful campaigns against companies like Polaroid, which initially supported apartheid in South Africa, inspire current organizers to push for change. As more tech workers connect the dots between their roles and the larger socio-political implications of their work, there is potential for a robust labor movement to emerge. By fostering relationships and encouraging dialogue among employees, organizers believe they can cultivate a culture of resistance that advocates for both worker rights and social justice.
Paris Marx is joined by Mohammad Khatami and Gabi Schubiner to discuss the complicity of Google, Amazon, and Microsoft in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and how tech workers are organizing to stop it.
Mohammad Khatami and Gabi Schubiner are former Google software engineers and organizers with No Tech for Apartheid.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Gabi refers to JWCC, with is a reference to the Department of Defense Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contract with Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Oracle.
Google fired 50 workers earlier this year for organizing over its ties to Israel.
In 1970, Polaroid workers under the banner of the Polaroid Revolutionary Workers Movement began the first anti-apartheid boycott of a US company by organizing against their employer’s complicity in South African apartheid.