Awareness is being raised about the role that major technology companies like Google and Microsoft play in perpetuating genocide through their investments in Israel.What Google's Largest-Ever Acquisition of an Israeli Software Company Tells Us About Big Tech's Complicity in Genocide
Google has been investing heavily in Israeli companies, particularly those in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. This includes a $1.1 billion acquisition of the Waze navigation app in 2013, as well as purchases of SlickLogin, Simplicity, Siemplify, Orbitera, Hexadite, and CyberX. But what's driving these investments? The answer is clear: to benefit from Israel's military-industrial complex. Google has partnered with Israeli companies that develop technologies used in the occupation of Palestine, including surveillance systems and AI-powered tools for managing Palestinian populations.The Case Against Google
| Company | Description |
|---|---|
| Waze | A navigation app acquired by Google for $1.1 billion in 2013. |
| SlickLogin | A company that developed encrypted soundwave-based login technology, acquired by Google in 2014. |
| Simplicity and Siemplify | Two Israeli cybersecurity companies acquired by Google for $500 million each in 2022. |
| Orbitera | A cloud application distribution company acquired by Google for $100 million in 2016. |
| Hexadite | An Israeli company specializing in AI-driven cybersecurity, acquired by Microsoft for $100 million in 2017. |
| CyberX | A company providing industrial infrastructure protection solutions, acquired by Microsoft for $165 million in 2020. |
Microsoft has also been implicated in Israel's settler colonial regime. In 2015, the company acquired Adallom, founded by Assaf Rappaport, for $320 million to enhance its cloud security systems. In 2020, Microsoft signed a $133 million contract with the Israeli Ministry of Defense to store massive amounts of data through the "Azure" service. This directly contributes to the surveillance of Palestinians and the operation of Israel's most sensitive projects, such as the "target bank" and the "Palestinian population registry," used by AI systems to facilitate the slaughter in Gaza. Microsoft engineers Ibtihal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal disrupted two different Microsoft events in protest over the company's complicity in the genocide. Both were later fired.Microsoft's Complicity in Genocide
| Event | Description |
|---|---|
| Viral Footage of Microsoft AI Event Disruption | A video showed Aboussad confronting Microsoft AI's CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, while Agrawal confronted former CEOs Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. |
| Ibtihal Abousaad's Firing | Abousaad was fired from her job after disrupting the event in protest over Microsoft's complicity in genocide. |
50,000 people have died in Gaza as a result of Israel's military actions. The humanitarian crisis is devastating, with many facing extreme poverty and scarcity of food and water. Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on Earth, with over 2 million people living in an area that measures just 360 square kilometers.The Human Cost of Genocide
Technology plays a significant role in the occupation and persecution of Palestinians. Israel's use of surveillance systems, AI-powered tools, and other technologies has enabled the military to maintain control over Gaza and suppress dissent.The Role of Technology in Perpetuating Genocide
Big tech companies like Google and Microsoft have a responsibility to consider the humanitarian impact of their investments and partnerships. They must take steps to prevent their technologies from being used to perpetuate human rights abuses.