Google: No, No More Government Work. Sort Of.
June 27, 2018
Google would have us believe it’s rebuffing the military’s advances, but the PR ploy may amount to no more than semantics. Pando tells us, “Google Distances Itself from the Pentagon, Stays in Bed with Mercenaries and Intelligence Contractors.” Reporter Yasha Levine observes:
“Earlier this week, Google made a big show of refusing DARPA funding for two robotics manufacturers it purchased, even though the companies themselves were financed with plenty of DoD cash. It’s a nice gesture, and one that was welcomed by those who want Silicon Valley to be free of government interference. Unfortunately, while a crowd-pleasing announcement is good for Google’s public image, it does nothing to change the company’s long and ongoing history of working closely with US military and surveillance agencies.”
Levine details Google’s extensive history with intelligence agencies around the world and its more recent dealings with military contractors from the likes of Lockheed Martin to much smaller operations. Meanwhile, the company ramped up its lobbying efforts and hired some folks with ties military and intelligence experience into its sales department. See the article for more details, including discussion of the mysterious Blackbird. In his closing, Levine emphasizes:
“It’s important that we — the millions of people who trust our data to Google every day — understand what Google is: It isn’t a traditional Internet service company. It’s not even, as mild cynics are fond of saying, an advertising company. Google is a whole new type of beast: a global for-profit surveillance company with a mission to funnel as much of our daily life in the real and online world through its servers. The purpose: to track, analyze and profile us as deeply as possible — who we are, what we do, where we go, who we talk to, what we think about — and then constantly figure out ways to monetize that intelligence.”
We wonder if the “real” journalists pay any attention to Google’s teaming with In-Q-Tel. Probably not important.
Cynthia Murrell, June 27, 2018
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