The Intercept, 12/02/24: “When questioned about its controversial cloud computing contract with the Israeli government, Google has repeatedly claimed the so-called Project Nimbus deal is bound by the company’s general cloud computing terms of service policy.

While that policy would prohibit uses that lead to deprivation of rights, injury, or death, or other harms, contract documents and an internal company email reviewed by The Intercept show the deal forged between Google and Israel doesn’t operate under the tech company’s general terms of service. Rather, Nimbus is subject to an ‘adjusted’ policy drafted between Google and the Israeli government. It is unclear how this ‘Adjusted Terms of Service’ policy differs from Google’s typical terms.

The $1.2 billion joint contract split between Google and Amazon provides the Israeli government, including its military, with access to state-of-the-art cloud computing and artificial intelligence tools. This has made Project Nimbus a consistent source of protest inside and outside Google, even before Israel’s war on Gaza.

While Amazon has largely remained silent in the face of employee activism and outside scrutiny, Google routinely downplays or denies the military reach of Project Nimbus — despite the Israeli Finance Ministry’s 2021 announcement that the deal would service the country’s ‘defense establishment.’

Google has also sought to reassure those concerned by its relationship with a government whose leadership is being investigated by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity by claiming Nimbus is constrained by the company’s general rules and regulations.”

Read the full article here.