WANA (Nov 18) – Alireza Zakeri, an Iranian engineer working at Google who is also a computer Olympiad gold medalist and a graduate of Sharif University and British Columbia, Canada, has resigned in protest against the company’s extensive collaborations with the Israeli regime. In a post shared on his LinkedIn account, Zakeri explained why he decided to leave Google. He wrote:

“I am happy to announce that I have left Google! Why happy, even though was working on exciting projects with talented coworkers? Because this declsion reflects my values.”

 

Zakeri further elaborated, citing Google’s involvement in the controversial “Project Nimbus”:

“After learning about Googles involvement in Project Nimbus, I voiced my concerns for several months. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of many employees, leadership chose to maintaint stance and dismiss our collective concerns.”

 

In closing, Zakeri urged others in similar situations to prioritize their principles and hoped anyone facing similar challenges would find the courage to put their values first.

 

Background on Project Nimbus and Employee Protests

Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract launched three years ago, involves Google and Amazon providing advanced AI and cloud computing services to Israel’s Ministry of Defense and other intelligence agencies.

 

Critics allege that these technologies are used to oppress Palestinians, including identifying individuals, categorizing images and videos, tracking people and objects, and analyzing emotions—tools that protesters claim exacerbate violence and human rights abuses.

Protesters of Nimbus project. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Over the past two years, Google employees have repeatedly protested the company’s involvement in this project. In November 2021, hundreds of workers from Google and Amazon published an open letter condemning the collaboration, stating:

 

“As employees of Google and Amazon from diverse backgrounds, we believe the technology we create should serve and uplift people everywhere. It is our moral duty to speak out against violations of these core values. We call on Amazon and Google leaders to withdraw from Project Nimbus and sever all ties with the Israeli military.”

 

The letter, signed internally by over 90 Google employees and 300 Amazon workers, sparked widespread discussions but yielded little change.

 

Retaliation Against Protesters

Google has reportedly responded to employee protests with firings and arrests. In recent incidents, 28 protesting employees were dismissed in June, and nine others were detained by the FBI in April.

 

Despite mounting backlash, Project Nimbus remains active, with few details disclosed about its specific operations. Protesters argue that the technologies provided under the contract contribute to heightened surveillance and violence against innocent Palestinians.

Protesters of Nimbus project. Social media/ WANA News Agency