Revealed: Israel demanded Google and Amazon use secret 'wink' to sidestep legal orders

Google and Amazon have agreed to a highly unusual deal with the Israeli government, known as Project Nimbus, which grants access to their cloud services for the country while also implementing a secret code that sidesteps legal obligations.

The arrangement was born out of Israel's concerns that data it moves into the global corporations' cloud platforms could end up in the hands of foreign law enforcement authorities. The companies, Google and Amazon, routinely comply with requests from police, prosecutors, and security services to hand over customer data to assist investigations.

As part of the deal, Israeli officials inserted controls into the Nimbus agreement that require the companies to send coded messages to its government if it has disclosed Israeli data to foreign courts or investigators. The secret code is a "wink" system where payments are made by the companies to the Israeli government in the form of telephone dialing codes.

According to leaked documents, if either Google or Amazon provides information to authorities in the US, they must send 1,000 shekels to Israel; however, this could be as much as 9,999 shekels for foreign countries. If the companies are unable to signal which country has received the data, there is a backstop of 100,000 shekels.

Legal experts say that the arrangement is highly unusual and carries risks for the companies as it could violate US law obligations in keeping secrets about subpoenaed information. The mechanism seems "clever" but also "risky".

The Nimbus deal would appear to prohibit Google and Amazon from taking unilateral action taken by Microsoft, when it disabled the Israeli military's access to technology used to operate an indiscriminate surveillance system monitoring Palestinian phone calls.

While both companies stated they had accepted Israel's stringent demands in the completed contract, saying they did not circumvent their confidentiality obligations, a spokesperson for the Israeli finance ministry said that the company was "bound by stringent contractual obligations that safeguard Israel's vital interests".

this is like something out of a spy novel, you know? these big corps are basically writing the rules and Israel gets to be the referee. it's wild that they can just insert this secret code into their contracts and expect everything to go smoothly. 1,000 shekels for US or 9,999 for foreign countries? sounds like some shady business to me . i mean, who needs transparency and accountability when you've got a wink-wink system in place . and what's up with the backstop of 100k shekels if they can't even figure out which country got hit first . it's all just a bit too convenient for my taste

Ugh, I'm literally so done with corporations like Google and Amazon who are basically getting away with breaking laws on our behalf... I mean, what kind of deal is this? They're basically saying "hey, we'll give you access to our cloud services for free, but only if you agree to send us money whenever someone in another country asks for your data". Like, what's next? Payment for silence? And it's not like they're being transparent about it either... I mean, the whole thing is shrouded in secrecy. It's just so... sketchy. And let's be real, this is all because of Israel's paranoia about their data being shared with foreign authorities... but at what cost? The companies are basically putting their own interests above all else, and it's just not right.

I'm so confused about this deal... Like, isn't it supposed to be about protecting customer data? But now I'm thinking, what if you're not even sure who has gotten access to your info? And those payments... 1,000 shekels for the US and up to 100,000 for other countries? That's like, a lot of money! Like, can we talk about something else for a sec? Did I watch that new Marvel show or is it still on Netflix?

I'm low-key concerned about this whole Project Nimbus thing . It seems like Google and Amazon are basically doing what the Israeli government wants, even if it means bending or breaking their own rules . I mean, I get why they'd want to protect sensitive data, but 9,999 shekels is a big ask . And what's up with this "wink" system? It sounds like they're essentially bribing the government into keeping quiet .

As someone who loves formatting and structure (lol just kidding, sort of), I'm more worried about how this whole thing affects our digital rights . If big companies are just going to do whatever governments want without question, where does that leave us? It's all about the fine print, folks – let's make sure we're not getting caught off guard

I'm lowkey freaking out about this deal ! Like, what's next? Are we gonna have our own secret code to follow just because some country thinks its data is more precious than ours? I get it, security is a thing, but come on! This whole "wink" system with payment codes? That's like something out of a spy movie . And the fines are crazy high! 100k shekels for not sending the right signal? No thanks . Can we just have some transparency here? Like, what exactly does this deal mean for our data and privacy as customers?

This is getting weird . I'm all for protecting national security and whatnot, but come on, a secret code system to avoid sharing data with foreign authorities? It sounds like a game of telephone where only one side gets to decide who wins . And those fines if they mess up... 100k shekels is no joke . I'm not sure if this is really worth it for Israel, can't we just have open communication and cooperation with our cloud companies instead?

I don't think this deal is a good idea . I mean, what if Google or Amazon gets a request from a foreign country to give up some data? They're gonna send all that shekels to Israel and then what? It sounds like they're getting bought off by the Israeli government . And let's not forget about the whole thing with Microsoft and the surveillance system... I don't see how this deal is gonna stop anyone from using those tools against Palestinians . Plus, have you seen the amount of money they're talking about? 100k shekels just for a little "wink" system . It's crazy what kind of deals these companies will make to get access to a big market like Israel...

omg this deal is super shady I mean, what's up with companies like Google and Amazon just giving in to the Israeli government's demands? it seems like they're prioritizing their business over human rights especially when it comes to Palestinians. Microsoft should be hailed as a hero for taking a stand against Israel's surveillance system and now Google and Amazon are basically saying "oh, we can't compete with that" . I'm all for protecting national security, but not at the cost of our values and freedoms . This whole thing just feels like a game of cat and mouse between corporations and governments . Can someone explain to me how this secret code thingy works? is it like a big ol' wink or what's up with the 1,000-9,999 shekel payment system?

omg this deal is so sketchy like what even is the point of sending coded messages to israeli gov? are they trying to cover up something or just making sure they get their cash 100k shekels sounds like a lot of money, who gets that kinda power in the clouds?

this is super interesting i mean who doesn't love a good ol' fashioned backdoor into your cloud services ? seriously though, have you ever stopped to think about how much of our data ends up in the hands of governments and law enforcement? like its not just google and amazon either... all these corps are basically just playing by their own rules and then they wonder why we're so paranoid online.

I'm low-key concerned about this deal. Like, isn't it weird that Google and Amazon are willing to just... skirt around US laws to keep their data private? I mean, we already know they hand over customer info to police and whatnot, but a secret code system that's basically bribing Israel with cash if you spill the beans? That doesn't sound right. And what about the implications for smaller companies or individuals who might get caught in the crossfire? The fact that it could be as much as 9,999 shekels if someone gets leaked is wild too... how does that even work?

I'd love to see more info on this "clever" but risky mechanism. Like, what's the source on this code system and how did it get approved? Are we really just relying on companies self-regulating their own compliance with US laws? I'm not sure I trust this arrangement...

I'm worried about this deal, to be honest . It feels like Google and Amazon are getting special treatment just because they're big players in the cloud game. I mean, what's next? Are we gonna let other countries make similar deals with tech giants without any oversight? The whole thing seems a bit shady, if you ask me .

I remember when I was working, I had to deal with some tricky confidentiality agreements too, but at least they were transparent about what was expected of me. This Nimbus deal is like a big wink-wink, nudge-nudge system that only the companies and Israeli government understand. It's like they're trying to get away with something .

I'm not sure if it's just me, but this whole thing makes me nervous . I hope these tech giants are being careful about how this deal affects their global operations and reputation. We need more transparency in these types of agreements, especially when it comes to sensitive data and international laws.

I'm low-key concerned about this whole Nimbus deal . On one hand, I get why Google and Amazon wanted to work with the Israeli government - it's all about global business, right? But on the other hand, it feels like they're getting played by a sneaky system . The secret code thing is just shady, if you ask me . I mean, what happens when these companies get subpoenaed in another country and can't play the "I sent data to Israel" game anymore? They'll still have to deal with US law, which is super strict about keeping secrets .

It's also kinda weird that Microsoft got to take unilateral action against Israel's surveillance system, but Google and Amazon are stuck with this deal . I guess it just goes to show how unequal the playing field is for these big corporations - they can play by their own rules when it suits them, but not so much when it doesn't .