Microsoft workers demand it drop $480 million U.S. Army contract

Daisy Cloudskitter

Daisy Cloudskitter

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Workers calling on the company to stop developing “any and all weapons technologies", saying they “did not sign up to develop weapons, and we demand a say in how our work is used.”

They called on the company to develop “a public-facing acceptable use policy” for its technology and an external review board to publicly enforce it.


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...a079&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
 
Since when does an employee tell a company what to do in a modern, civilized and first world country? Fire the lot of them and replace them with competent and willing staff to do their work without holding the company at ransom.
 
ToxicBunny said:
The fact that workers think they have a say in what a product is used for is intriguing...
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Many people consider the ethical profile and social conscience of a company before they decide to join. Further, Microsoft is a multinational, so many of their employees reside in different countries. If the company suddenly decides to work for the US Military in areas that may further their military capabilities, it is surely relevant for the foreign employees to object to directly, or even indirectly, be supporting a foreign military force?
Ultimately, yes, they can and probably will resign, but before that, surely they have a right to try get the company to change its' mind? It's one thing selling the military the same software they sell any company, but this is a specialised area.
If employees joined a Denel type company from the gitgo, then sure, they have no leg to stand on, but this is/was a business solutions software company.
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eXisor said:
Many people consider the ethical profile and social conscience of a company before they decide to join. Further, Microsoft is a multinational, so many of their employees reside in different countries. If the company suddenly decides to work for the US Military in areas that may further their military capabilities, it is surely relevant for the foreign employees to object to directly, or even indirecrly, be supporting a foreign military force?
Ultimately, yes, they can and probably will resign, but before that, surely they have a right to try get the company to change its' mind? It's one thing selling the military the same software they sell any company, but this is a specialised area.
If employees joined a Denel type company from the gitgo, then sure, they have no leg to stand on, but this is a business solutions software company.
.
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How much of the tech we use today was because it was first developed for military use? That is where the cash injection is, the deface budget. In turn the benefits also trickle down until eventually everybody has access to it.
 
Sollie said:
How much of the tech we use today was because it was first developed for military use? That is where the cash injection is, the deface budget. In turn the benefits also trickle down until eventually everybody has access to it.
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This is true, but doesn't change the basic situation. If a multinational suddenly goes for specialised military contracts it means all their foreign workers are directly, or indirectly, supporting a foreign military.

Sollie said:
They even have the option to go to Venezuela or Russia since they apparently do not support the US's goals..
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Many US goals are worthy of foreign support. Some are patently not.
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Lew Skannen said:
Since when does an employee tell a company what to do in a modern, civilized and first world country? Fire the lot of them and replace them with competent and willing staff to do their work without holding the company at ransom.
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I think the competent and willing staff shop is low on stock right now
 
eXisor said:
If employees joined a Denel type company from the gitgo, then sure, they have no leg to stand on, but this is/was a business solutions software company
Click to expand...
Microsoft is a global giant that's been convicted multiple times of abusing its monopoly position to the detriment of consumers There is not, nor has there ever been, any moral high ground at MS.

i.e. these soy boy cucked employees can go and shove it, they knowingly did join "a Denel type company from the gitgo"
 
NarrowBandFtw said:
Microsoft is a global giant that's been convicted multiple times of abusing its monopoly position to the detriment of consumers There is not, nor has there ever been, any moral high ground at MS.

i.e. these soy boy cucked employees can go and shove it, they knowingly did join "a Denel type company from the gitgo"
Click to expand...

Doesn't even remotely wash. Microsoft, for all their corporate shenaigans, was not a Denel.
.
 
NarrowBandFtw said:
Microsoft is a global giant that's been convicted multiple times of abusing its monopoly position to the detriment of consumers There is not, nor has there ever been, any moral high ground at MS.

i.e. these soy boy cucked employees can go and shove it, they knowingly did join "a Denel type company from the gitgo"
Click to expand...
There is a difference between being a dick of a corporate and supplying military hardware...
 
ToxicBunny said:
There is a difference between being a dick of a corporate and supplying military hardware...
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Sure, only MS isn't doing the latter:
"2,500 prototypes of augmented reality headsets, which digitally display contextual information in front of a user’s eyes"

Who knew Google Glass or Oculus Rift are weapons ... oh wait ... they're not. MS is supplying consumer hardware, to the military, big difference between that and building military hardware. They actually aim to sell the exact same headsets to businesses.
 
NarrowBandFtw said:
Sure, only MS isn't doing the latter:
"2,500 prototypes of augmented reality headsets, which digitally display contextual information in front of a user’s eyes"

Who knew Google Glass or Oculus Rift are weapons ... oh wait ... they're not. MS is supplying consumer hardware, to the military, big difference between that and building military hardware. They actually aim to sell the exact same headsets to businesses.
Click to expand...
Except they are selling it to the military for military use Cases... That makes it military hardware at that point...
 
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