Recently there have been reports that Google wants to get back into China and one of the ways they are planning to do so is to launch a censored search engine. This is to comply with government regulations on what kind of topics are allowed to be discussed on the internet, and apparently Google’s employees are not having it.In a report from BuzzFeed News, it seems that Google employees are protesting internally against the company’s alleged plans to launch a censored search engine in China, codenamed Dragonfly. According to an email circulated internally and obtained by the publication, it reads in part, “Many of us believe that Dragonfly poses a threat to freedom of expression and political dissent globally, and violates our AI principles.”
It adds, “As a company and as individuals we have a responsibility to use this power to better the world, not to support social control, violence, and oppression. What is clear is that Ethical Principles on paper are not enough to ensure ethical decision making. We need transparency, oversight, and accountability mechanisms sufficient to allow informed ethical choice and deliberation across the company.”
Google’s employees aren’t the only ones questioning the company’s decision. It was also previously reported that US lawmakers have questions for Google as well regarding their plans. This would also not be the first time that Google employees have protested against the company’s projects, where a few months ago a number of employees resigned in protest over Google’s military contracts.