IBM, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon workers condemn Israel-Gaza war, reject censorship

Employees from some of the world’s largest tech companies are openly condemning the ongoing Israel-Gaza war, defying what they see as efforts by managers to stifle the conversation.<br><br>Workers from IBM, Microsoft, Google and Amazon have signed public letters and spoken out online against Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which has killed thousands of civilians since October 7. Many have also criticized what they view as managers’ attempts to rein in the debate.<br><br>“Tech companies should allow their Palestinian and pro-Palestinian workers to freely express their political views without fear of being reported or fired,” said a senior software engineer at Google who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. <br><br>The issue is especially fraught for Palestinian employees, who fear they could face professional repercussions or worse, said Aseel Saad, a Palestinian software engineer at Amazon. <br><br>“I’m speaking out because it’s my job to,” she said. “If I don’t speak out, then who’s going to speak out for me?”