Roberto C. Sánchez <robe...@debian.org> wrote on 31/01/2025 at 03:59:10+0100:

> Since we as a project have left Twitter/X (as recently announced by our
> Publicity Team) on the basis of "We do not want to be present in a place
> where we cannot ensure that users will be respected and where abuse
> happens without consequences" [0] [1], I would like start a discussion
> about how we as a project can promptly sever ties with Google.
>
> Currently, the Debian project has a much closer relationship with Google
> than we have ever had with Twitter/X. Google is listed on the Debian
> Partners Program page [2], which states:
>
> "Google sponsors parts of Salsa's continuous integration infrastructure
> within Google Cloud Platform."
>
> "Google is one of the largest technology companies in the world,
> providing a wide range of Internet-related services and products as
> online advertising technologies, search, cloud computing, software, and
> hardware."
>
> Additionally, Google is a DebConf25 sponsor [3].
>
> Yet, Google has for a long time closely collaborated with the United
> States Government, specifically with the Defense and Intellence arms.
> This collaboration is no longer something that our project can continue
> to turn a blind toward. Just within the last year Google has increased
> this collaboration to the point of becoming a full-fledged and
> enthusiastic participant in the US defense industrial complex.
>
> 2024-04-09: "Google is now authorized to host classified data in the
> cloud" [4]
>
> "We're thrilled to announce another significant milestone for Google
> Public Sector: the authorization of Google Distributed Cloud Hosted to
> host Top Secret and Secret missions for the U.S. Intelligence Community,
> and Top Secret missions for the Department of Defense," Leigh Palmer,
> the company’s vice president of delivery and operations said at Google
> Cloud Next conference in Las Vegas. "This authorization underscores
> Google Public Sector's commitment to empowering government agencies with
> secure, cutting-edge technology."
>
> 2024-04-17: "Google Public Sector ‘hitting our stride’ in government
> market, CEO says" [5]
>
> "Being authorized on secret and top secret for the most stringent
> government requirements more than anything demonstrates Google's
> commitment to this market. I’m so proud of that. You know, I'm a mission
> junkie, former Navy officer, this is what I came to Google for: to be
> able to deliver on the promise of Google technology and those missions."
>
> This goes far beyond the US Defense and Intellence agencies purchasing
> the same mass market products which are available to everyone, far
> beyond benign public sector services for education and healthcare.
> Google is specifically tailoring products and services, in close
> collaboration with the US Defense and Intellence agencies, to
> specifically increase the capabilities of those agencies.
>
> Since there are people within the project who will not even travel to
> the US because of problematic policies and overreach by the government,
> especially by intelligence agencies, it seems highly problematic for us
> to continue accepting Google as a sponsor. Especially given the fact
> that Google has become a de facto part of the US government, and
> especially of its intellegence arm. I feel far more threatened by a
> continuing relationship between Debian and Google--knowing that Debian
> shares a computing platform and resources with the monsters responsible
> for thousands of drone strikes across the world, being responsible for
> countless civilian deaths, as well as who knows what other atrocities
> both inside the US and across the world--than by our former use of
> Twitter/X as a platform for publishing bits of news about the project.
> And a continuing relationship between Debian and Google objectively
> poses a far greater threat of far greater harm to far more people than
> did our former use of Twitter/X.
>
> I am calling for those responsible for the Debian Partners Program to
> immediately discontinue the partner relationship with Google and then
> for those responsible for managing the various Google-integrated and
> Google-hosted Debian services to being the process of divestiture.

Seriously, this is irksome.

Just state that you disagree about the Publicity Team Decision instead
of doing a ~straw man argument up to the absurd.

We're supposed to be grown ups. Maybe act accordingly?

-- 
PEB

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