Big Tech’s bloody footprints

Two years of Israel's genocide in Gaza, and it continues to bombard the enclave in violation of the ceasefire, with recent strikes killing over a 100 more Palestinians. This relentless assault is propelled by direct and indirect complicity of major tech companies providing the Israeli military with surveillance tools, intellegence and funds.  Though, unfortunately, we can't completely eliminate Big Tech from our lives — how do you escape Google — increasing awareness of the companies that are complicit assists in protests and resistance against harmful practices.  And hey! There are some we can avoid altogether. Below are some such tech companies complicit in the genocide with alternatives where applicable.  Google — Chrome and other subsidiaries Invested billions in Israeli AI, cloud, and cybersecurity startups, collaborating with the Israeli military on AI tools for intelligence gathering and drone tech. This includes Project Nimbus — a $1.2 billion cloud contract with the Israeli government. Google also has multiple offices in Tel Aviv and Haifa, employing hundreds.  Alternative Search Engines: ►OperaGX. A browser owned by Kunlun Tech Co., Ltd., a Chinese company, with no publicly documented Israeli ownership or major investment from associated firms. ►DuckDuckGo. Run by a privately held US company, the company has no evidence of Israeli ownership. ►Mozilla Firefox. Developed by the non-profit Mozilla Foundation, the for-profit subsidiary Mozilla Corporation is reportedly wholly owned by the Foundation, and there appears to be no link to Israel. Yeah, I agree, it's a bit impossible to quit Google.  YouTube Owned by Google and thus complicit.  Alternatives: ►Vimeo. This deviates from YouTube's model of mass-consumer content, focusing more on filmmakers, creatives and businesses. There is no public indication of Israeli ownership. ►PeerTube. Styling themselves as an alternative to Big Tech's video platforms, it is an open-source tool for sharing online videos. It is developed by Framasoft, a French non-profit organisation. ►Rumble. A video-hosting and cloud service company that is headquartered in Toronto. It has significant investments from firms, such as Crypto firm Tether, but there is no apparent Israeli link. ►Dailymotion. It is a French online video-sharing platform currently owned by the French group Canal+ Group through its subsidiary structure. There is no evidence of ownership or stake by Israeli firms, but the possibility cannot be ruled out. Microsoft Deep ties with Israel through a datacenter for Azure cloud in Tel Aviv for government and military applications. Microsoft also partners with cybersecurity and AI firms with military origins such as Rafael (Israeli defence firm) on AI weapons systems. Alternatives: ►ZorinOS (Linux). Aimed at users switching away from Windows, it has a familiar layout and is based in Dublin, Ireland and has an open source Linux distribution. There is no well-known, documented link to Israeli ownership. ►Ubuntu (Linux). The most well-known Linux distribution, there is a steep learning curve here if you're used to the Windows user interface. However the usage is free, and there is a large community with regular updates and software. ►OpenBSD. This is a community project/foundation model, and has a non-profit structure via the OpenBSD Foundation (Canada). If you're tech-savvy and prioritise security, this is a system to check out. For other users, it can be relatively complex to understand. Apple Operates major research and development in Israel e.g. chip design, invests in health/AI tech with dual-use potential. There is less direct military involvement, but it supports ecosystem funding and state-backed innovation, such as investing in OrCam, a technology company based in Jerusalem specialising in AI-based eye-wearable devices. Read: Trump says Gaza ceasefire holds, affirms Israel’s right to retaliate if provoked Samsung Samsung’s venture arm closed its Tel Aviv office in 2024, but Samsung Electronics continues to operate in Israel through wholly owned subsidiaries and R&D centres, including Samsung Semiconductor Israel R&D Center, Ltd., and Corephotonics as per 2025 company filings. Alternatives to Apple and Samsung ►Xiaomi. A Chinese multinational headquartered in Beijing with a global presence in smartphones, smart home, and devices beyond just phones. There is no publicly documented Israeli ownership or investment stake in Xiaomi (at least in major disclosures). ►Nothing. A UK-based consumer electronics company focused on design, smartphones and audio gear. There is no evidence of Israeli stake or ownership And most other smartphone providers including Q Mobile, Red Mi and One Plus.  Meta (Facebook) Funds Israeli social media monitoring and AI content tools, acquires startups for surveillance tech. Meta provides indirect military aid through data analytics for "counter-terrorism" and censors pro-Palestinian content and voices. Threads and Instagram They are owned by Meta, which has multiple violations of freedom of speech on their social media applications. X Corp X Corp (formerly known as Twitter) reportedly uses the Israeli company AU10TIX for verification (ID / biometric checks) for its “XBlue” subscribers. According to reports, AU10TIX is “linked to Israeli intelligence”, and there are concerns about data storage and processing being in Israel. X Corp also signed an agreement with the Israeli firm CHEQ to help deal with bots/fake accounts. Alternative: ►Bluesky. It began in 2019 and became an independent company in 2021. Development for the social app accelerated in 2022 after Elon Musk acquired Twitter and subsequently severed ties between the companies. While it is a popular alternative to other social media platforms, especially X, it is noted in a report that Israeli investor Amir Shevat said that he has invested in Bluesky, and his fund “primarily invests in Israeli entrepreneurs”. Spotify The CEO of Spotify invested in Helsing, a company that develops AI software to enhance military weapons and other equipment. Ek is also Helsing’s chairman, and while there is no direct proof about Helsing selling its weaponry to Israel, artists such as Deerhoof have removed their catalogues from Spotify in protest. Alternatives: ►Qobuz. Offers both streaming services and a download store for buying music. It is currently not available in Pakistan. ►Soundiiz. Not a music streaming service, but it allows you to migrate your playlists from one service to another for free. The paid version allows you to migrate everything you have on one platform to another platform at the same time. ►Resonate. A pay-as-you-play service, you would only have to pay a total of US $1.40 to own a track, after which you can stream that song for free from your collection, "forever". Their artists and rights holders get 70% of the money made from any one song. As of October 30, they are not accepting new signups so they can work on their system. Uber They have announced a strategic partnership and investment in Israeli drone delivery company Flytrex and are investing tens of millions of dollars in it, as per a Haaretz report. Local alternatives for ride-hailing services: ►Bykea. A Pakistan-based ride-hailing, delivery service that is only operational in Pakistan. There is no indication of any ties with Israeli companies, as its disclosed investors do not include Israeli-linked companies, ►Indrive. An international company that operates in 48 countries, it is headquartered in California. One of the major investors in inDrive (Insight Partners) is heavy in Israeli tech; however, inDrive itself does not appear to operate in Israel. Yango Play-streaming service — not the cab!  According to financial records and reports by international organisations, Yango Play operates in regions occupied by Israel. They, however, deny these claims, maintaining that the platform is established by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is "fully managed from its headquarters in Dubai, under the Yango Global Technology Group," as reported by their spokesperson. Also Read: Ex-Google workers say firings for protesting Israel contract were illegal They say their parent company, Yango Group, has divested from Israel and no longer operates there even though certain services retaining the Yango name are still operational there. Activists say that most of Yango Play's administrators are based in Israel. Unity They have acquired various Israeli companies such as Supersonic Studios, IronSource and RestAR, which are involved in computer vision, deep learning, app monetisation, and more. Alternatives: ►Unreal Epic Games (Unreal's developer) has acquired studios like Psyonix, Mediatonic, and RAD Game Tools, but none Israeli. Investments and partnerships focus on global entities (e.g., Disney, Sony, LEGO). ►Godot Open-source project (non-profit foundation); no funding for acquisitions/investments. Received a 2020 grant from Facebook Reality Labs (U.S.), but no Israeli connections. Used by ~7 Israeli game devs, but that's usage, not ownership ties. ►Stride. Formerly Xenko (French-origin, now community-driven), no acquisitions or investments recorded. Parent Stride Gaming (UK bingo operator, acquired 2019) had Israeli offices but focused on operations, not tech investments. ►GDevelop.An open-source non-profit entity with zero investments, acquisitions, or partnerships documented. Community-funded; no corporate ties to Israel. ►CryEngine. Crytek (German/Turkish) has no acquisitions/investments in Israeli firms. Partnerships with NVIDIA, Intel, etc., but none are Israeli-specific Xbox It is owned by Microsoft, which makes up a large portion of Microsoft's profit, according to a report by the BDS movement. Alternatives to Xbox (as a games platform): ►Steam (Valve Corporation). A digitally distributed video game service headquartered in the United States, there are some Palestinian-developed games and Israeli-developed games available on Steam, but there appears to be no direct stake in Israeli companies or the government. Intel A pioneer in Israeli tech with fabrication, research and development. Intel produces chips for military hardware and receives significant state subsidies via the Israel Innovation Authority. Nvidia Funds AI and GPU tech for defence simulations and partners with Israeli firms on autonomous systems, like when it collaborated with Elbit Systems, Israel's primary provider for land and aerial military equipment, for drone AI training. Alternatives to Intel, Nvidia: ►Advanced Micro Devices(AMD). An American multinational headquartered in Santa Clara, California, it develops CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs and other chip technologies. There is no documented evidence of major Israeli firms or government ownership or stake in AMD. However, AMD chips and devices may be sold in Israel. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Major investor in Israeli cloud infrastructure and defence tech; co-lead on Project Nimbus. AWS supports Israeli government data storage and AI for surveillance/military operations, for example, investing $1.2b in microelectronics company Annapurna Labs' expansion.

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/fnApGRr