Google and Amazon agreed to a secret arrangement with the Israeli government in 2021, which would allow it to sidestep legal obligations when storing data on its cloud platforms. The deal, known as Project Nimbus, included a "winking mechanism" that required Google and Amazon to send coded messages to Israel's government whenever they handed over customer data to foreign authorities.
The arrangement was made in response to concerns about Israeli data being accessed by foreign law enforcement agencies. To counter this threat, the Israeli government demanded that Google and Amazon agree to use the secret code as part of the deal. The mechanism would involve payments - referred to as "special compensation" - made by the companies to the Israeli government, with the amount corresponding to the telephone dialing code of the foreign country.
The deal includes stringent controls that prohibit Google and Amazon from restricting how Israel's government agencies, security services, and military units use their cloud services. The terms also prevent the companies from suspending or withdrawing access to technology for Israel even if it violates their terms of service.
Several experts have described the arrangement as a "clever" workaround that complies with the letter of the law but not its spirit. However, the arrangement has raised concerns about the potential risks for Google and Amazon, particularly in the US, where they are headquartered.
Israeli officials acknowledge that the deal's demands may collide with US law, leaving the companies with a difficult choice between violating the contract or violating their legal obligations. Neither Google nor Amazon has commented on whether they have used the secret code since the Nimbus contract came into effect.
The arrangement was made in response to concerns about Israeli data being accessed by foreign law enforcement agencies. To counter this threat, the Israeli government demanded that Google and Amazon agree to use the secret code as part of the deal. The mechanism would involve payments - referred to as "special compensation" - made by the companies to the Israeli government, with the amount corresponding to the telephone dialing code of the foreign country.
The deal includes stringent controls that prohibit Google and Amazon from restricting how Israel's government agencies, security services, and military units use their cloud services. The terms also prevent the companies from suspending or withdrawing access to technology for Israel even if it violates their terms of service.
Several experts have described the arrangement as a "clever" workaround that complies with the letter of the law but not its spirit. However, the arrangement has raised concerns about the potential risks for Google and Amazon, particularly in the US, where they are headquartered.
Israeli officials acknowledge that the deal's demands may collide with US law, leaving the companies with a difficult choice between violating the contract or violating their legal obligations. Neither Google nor Amazon has commented on whether they have used the secret code since the Nimbus contract came into effect.
I'm low-key shocked about this whole Project Nimbus thingy... like, how can two of the biggest tech companies just roll over and let Israel get away with it? 
Don't get me wrong, national security is important, but at what cost? 
It's all about profit, right? Amazon and Google are basically getting a free pass to skirt around US laws just so they can keep serving their Israeli friends. And for what? So the Israeli gov can spy on citizens without consequences? 
Not cool, dudes...
"You can't control everything that happens in life but you can control how you respond to it." "The truth is rarely pure and never simple". 
. I mean, what kind of arrangement makes you feel safer by giving the government access to your personal info? And what's with the whole 'special compensation' thing? It just feels like they're buying their way out of responsibility. As someone who's lived through a lot of changes in tech and politics, this deal just feels like a slippery slope - next thing you know, we'll be giving up our freedom to data in exchange for security. 
and its not even like they had to say nothin' 
. And now theyre all like "oh but we followed the law" 
. Its soooo not that simple. Like, whats "stringent controls" really mean? Sounds like just a fancy way of sayin they get to keep doin whatever they want and just pay off Israel 
. This whole thing is just super sus 
.
its all about convenience and profits, not about protecting people's rights or keeping their data safe. I mean i get that israel has security concerns but this deal raises so many red flags... how do we even know what the "special compensation" amount is supposed to be? its just a slippery slope for any country to ask big corps to skirt the law 
and whats up with the fact that us citizens are stuck in the middle of this mess, with no real recourse 
The fact that it's not explicitly clear how this works in the US is super sketchy... I hope these big players are keeping their lawyers on speed dial 