Employees at Google DeepMind in the UK are seeking to unionize in response to the company’s sales of AI technology to defense organizations linked to the Israeli government.

Around 300 staff members in London are aiming to join the Communication Workers Union (CWU).

The push for unionization follows reports that Google is providing cloud services and AI technologies to the Israeli Ministry of Defence. This has caused unrest among employees, who had previously protested similar dealings.

Last year, 28 employees were terminated after opposing a cloud contract with the Israeli government.

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Tech worker activism is evolving from informal protests to formal unionization

DeepMind employees’ unionization effort follows a significant shift in tech worker activism that began around 2018 with the Google walkouts against sexual harassment and military contracts.

This latest action is part of a broader trend that saw Alphabet Workers Union form in 2021 with over 800 members advocating for ethical business practices beyond traditional labor issues 1.

The trend shows tech activism maturing from isolated protests to structured organizations, with tech unions across companies increasingly focusing on ethical concerns alongside workplace conditions.

Similar unionization efforts have emerged across multiple companies, with Kickstarter employees forming the first tech union in February 2020, followed by others at Glitch and Vodeo Games 2.

The CWU’s involvement with DeepMind continues this trend, as larger traditional unions increasingly support tech workers. For example, the Communication Workers of America has launched specific initiatives like the Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE) 3.

2️⃣ Project Nimbus represents a recurring ethical conflict between company priorities and employee values

The DeepMind unionization push against military contracts with Israel follows a documented pattern of employee activism specifically targeting Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract between Google, Amazon, and the Israeli military.

In 2021, over 90 Google and 300 Amazon employees signed an internal letter opposing the contract, concerned it would enable surveillance and rights violations against Palestinians 4.

This activism has faced significant corporate resistance, with Google employee Ariel Koren claiming she was forced to resign after organizing against the contract, and over 750 colleagues signing a petition protesting the alleged retaliation 5.

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