Over 1,100 STEM students and young professionals from 120+ universities have pledged to refuse job offers from Google and Amazon. This protest responds to the companies’ $1.2 billion contract, Project Nimbus, which supports the Israeli government’s cloud computing needs. Students from top schools like Stanford, UC Berkeley, the University of San Francisco, and San Francisco State University are among those protesting.
Students Rally Against Google
Some students joined a rally outside Google’s San Francisco office to protest Project Nimbus. Tech workers and activists stood together against the project. With Google and Amazon being top employers for STEM graduates, this boycott could impact their future hiring.
Advocacy Groups Lead the Pledge
The pledge is led by No Tech for Apartheid (NOTA), a coalition of tech workers and activists from MPower Change and Jewish Voice for Peace. They aim to pressure Google and Amazon to end their involvement in Project Nimbus and other projects with the Israeli government.
Students Speak Out
Students who signed the pledge shared their reasons. Sam, a 2023 Cornell graduate, decided to act after seeing peers join tech firms despite their concerns. Naomi Hardy-Njie, a communications major and computer science minor from the University of San Francisco, emphasized the need for change from the grassroots level.
Ongoing Resistance Against Project Nimbus
NOTA has organized several actions against Project Nimbus. Eddie Hatfield, a NOTA organizer, was fired from Google after disrupting a tech conference. Over 50 Google employees were also dismissed after a sit-in protest. Google claims Project Nimbus doesn’t involve military work, but leaked documents suggest otherwise. Google and Amazon have yet to respond to these claims.
This movement highlights a shift in the tech industry, as young professionals take a stand on ethical issues, potentially changing future hiring trends and corporate policies.
