Big Tech co-founder Sergey Brin expresses 'antisemitic' criticism of United Nations report on his company's connections with Israel
In a private internal memo, Google co-founder Sergey Brin accused the United Nations (UN) of being "transparently antisemitic" in response to a controversial UN report that implicated Google and other tech companies in allegedly aiding Israel's military actions in Gaza.
The UN special rapporteur on Palestinian rights, Francesca Albanese, published a report accusing Google and Alphabet (its parent company) of profiting from Israel's "ongoing genocidal campaign in Gaza" by providing cloud and AI technology to the Israeli government and military.
Brin's criticism was aimed at the use of the term "genocide" in relation to Gaza, which he said is deeply offensive to many Jewish people who have suffered actual genocides. He also warned employees to be cautious about citing what he called "transparently antisemitic organizations like the UN" on these issues.
The internal discussion took place on a forum for employees of Google's artificial intelligence arm, DeepMind. Screenshots of the internal forum were shared with the Washington Post.
Brin's comments were made in the context of an internal discussion that cited this UN report, which he described as "plainly biased and misleading." It is unclear if Brin believes all of the organizations mentioned in the report, including the United Nations Special Committee, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), are also grounded in antisemitism or are "throwing around the term genocide."
Regarding Google's corporate position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the UN's accusations, there is no indication that Google's stance aligns explicitly with Brin's personal critique. Google itself did not comment publicly on Brin's memo, and the comments came in response to an internal discussion rather than as a formal corporate statement.
Brin's comments reflect a private critique by a co-founder concerned with perceived antisemitism rather than a definitive reflection of Google's broader policy or position on the conflict or the UN's reports. However, the report specifically mentions Google's work on Project Nimbus, a billion-dollar project providing cloud computing infrastructure and AI services to the Israeli government and military, as a point of contention among employees.
Google reportedly rushed to sell more AI tools to Israel following the events of October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked and killed over 1,200 Israelis. This decision has become a major point of contention among some Google employees, who organised protests and sit-ins on Google campuses under the banner of the group No Tech for Apartheid.
It is unclear if Brin will face consequences for his comments, but his accusation has highlighted his profound disagreement with the UN report's framing.
- The UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian rights, Francesca Albanese, published a report accusing Google and other tech companies of profiting from Israel's actions in Gaza, specifically citing Google's work on Project Nimbus.
- Google co-founder Sergey Brin criticized the UN for being "transparently antisemitic" in response to this report, stating that the use of the term "genocide" is offensive to many Jewish people.
- Brin also warned Google employees to be cautious about citing the UN, which he deemed as a potentially "transparently antisemitic organization," on these issues.
- The internal discussion about the UN report took place on a forum for employees of Google's artificial-intelligence arm, DeepMind.
- The report on Google's involvement in Israel's military actions has sparked controversy within Google, with some employees organizing protests and sit-ins under the banner of the group No Tech for Apartheid.
