The 'Wink' protocol: Google & Amazon's secret pact with Israel
Newly revealed documents show Israel required Google and Amazon to create a covert payment system for data access requests as part of their $1.2 billion cloud contract. The agreement reportedly prevents the tech giants from suspending services to Israeli government entities regardless of human rights concerns.
Details have emerged about Israel's $1.2 billion cloud computing agreement with Google and Amazon from 2021, revealing the Israeli government demanded a secret payment mechanism for data access requests. Documents show the arrangement included what insiders called a "wink" system requiring different payment amounts based on the country originating data requests, with companies facing substantial penalties if they disclosed transfer destinations.
Contract Restrictions on Service Suspension
The "Project Nimbus" agreement reportedly contains clauses preventing Google and Amazon from interfering with how Israeli government agencies, security services, and military use cloud services. Specifically, the companies cannot suspend or restrict service access and are prohibited from halting services due to human rights violations. These restrictions gained renewed attention after Microsoft recently cut off an Israeli military system used for tracking Palestinian civilians' phones, citing opposition to "mass surveillance of civilians."
Legal Concerns and Corporate Responses
Legal experts have raised significant concerns about the arrangement's compliance with international law. Former US prosecutors warned the mechanism "could violate the confidentiality of court orders and put companies at risk of conflicting with US laws." When questioned by journalists, both Google and Amazon denied the allegations. A Google spokesperson stated, "We do not behave in a manner that violates US laws or the legal framework of any other country," while Amazon emphasized its adherence to global legal request procedures.
Background and Employee Protests
Project Nimbus represents Israel's strategic initiative to migrate all government and military data to Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services infrastructure. Israeli officials expressed concern that new laws in the US and Europe could allow foreign courts direct access to Israeli data, prompting the development of control mechanisms. However, human rights organizations warn the project could support surveillance technologies used in military operations in Gaza and the West Bank, leading some Google and Amazon employees to protest under the "Drop Project Nimbus" banner last year.
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