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Microsoft employees slam $480M HoloLens military contract, refuse to create tech for 'warfare and
Fox News ^ | February 24, 2019 | Christopher Carbone

Posted on 02/24/2019 12:37:14 PM PST by lowbridge

More than 150 Microsoft employees signed a letter demanding the tech giant cancel a $480 million contract to build a HoloLens for the Pentagon, saying they "refuse to create technology for warfare and oppression."

"We are alarmed that Microsoft is working to provide weapons technology to the U.S. military, helping one country's government 'increase lethality' using tools we built. We did not sign up to develop weapons, and we demand a say in how our work is used," the letter to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Brad Smith, which was posted to Twitter, states.

The employees represent the latest big tech backlash, coming from within Silicon Valley itself, as workers demand more of a say over how tech products are used and how a range of groups are treated internally.

Back in November, according to the Microsoft employees, the company awarded a major contractto the U.S. Army with the stated objective to "rapidly develop, test, and manufacture a single platform that soldiers can use to fight, rehearse, and train that provides increased lethality, mobility, and situational awareness necessary to achieve overmatch against our current and future adversaries."

The workers demand that Microsoft cancel the contract, cease developing any and all weapons technologies, draft a public-facing policy around the acceptable use of such technology, and appoint an independent, external ethics review board with the power to enforce compliance.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: hololens; microsoft; military
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To: lowbridge

GUARANTEE you they are giving our secrets to China.


41 posted on 02/24/2019 12:58:40 PM PST by Williams (Stop Tolerating The Intolerant.)
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To: TexasGator

“I wonder what their buddies in China think?”

You can be 100% certain that China is behind this. The employees have been well prepared to betray our country.


42 posted on 02/24/2019 1:00:34 PM PST by Williams (Stop Tolerating The Intolerant.)
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To: lowbridge
Relax, idiots. It’s just a popcorn maker.


43 posted on 02/24/2019 1:01:17 PM PST by Rastus
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To: lowbridge
"The employees represent the latest big tech backlash, coming from within Silicon Valley itself, as workers demand more of a say over how tech products are used and how a range of groups are treated internally."

When did Microsoft move to Silicon Valley?

44 posted on 02/24/2019 1:05:11 PM PST by Mozzafiato
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To: PIF

Sorry, I forgot to add sarcasm tag.


45 posted on 02/24/2019 1:05:49 PM PST by NorseViking
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To: lowbridge

Ctrl, Alt, Delete.


46 posted on 02/24/2019 1:08:49 PM PST by Libloather (Trivial Pursuit question - name the first female to lose TWO presidential elections!)
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To: bigbob

Abort, retry, fail?

You forgot about Blue Screen of Death. Sounds formidable.


47 posted on 02/24/2019 1:10:04 PM PST by Pearls Before Swine ( "It's always a party when you're eating the seed corn.")
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To: NorseViking

That’s OK, many do not know who owns and run the company


48 posted on 02/24/2019 1:11:31 PM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
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To: eyeamok

What does that big hypocrite and one world hemorrhoid Bill Gates think?


49 posted on 02/24/2019 1:12:21 PM PST by shanover (...To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.-S.Adams)
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To: bigbob
“Abort, Retry, Fail?”

Or, the continuous...

50 posted on 02/24/2019 1:14:14 PM PST by moovova
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To: lowbridge

Fire them all.


51 posted on 02/24/2019 1:26:06 PM PST by piytar (If it was not for double standards, the Democrats and the left would have NO standards.)
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To: NorseViking
> I was actually kidding

No worries, I did look for a "sarc" tag first.

However there are plenty of PLA controlled (aka ChiCom H1-B visa workers) at Microsoft anyway.

52 posted on 02/24/2019 1:38:42 PM PST by SecondAmendment (This just proves my latest theory ... LIBERALS RUIN EVERYTHING!)
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To: Mozzafiato
> When did Microsoft move to Silicon Valley?

Other than IBM, Big Tech has been dominated by Red-Diaper-Doper baby types.

53 posted on 02/24/2019 1:41:37 PM PST by SecondAmendment (This just proves my latest theory ... LIBERALS RUIN EVERYTHING!)
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To: lowbridge

Fire the idiots. They don’t need them anyway.


54 posted on 02/24/2019 1:42:16 PM PST by Agatsu77
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To: lowbridge

H1B visa holders afraid their own countries might be coming up on the list?

End H1B. Investigate every company that uses H1B for payroll and tax fraud. Prison for the offenders.


55 posted on 02/24/2019 1:42:40 PM PST by Grimmy (equivocation is but the first step along the road to capitulation)
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To: lowbridge
Identify the employees. Arrange a termination. Reason? Loss of a $450 million contract. Your services are no longer required.
56 posted on 02/24/2019 2:26:23 PM PST by Myrddin
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To: lowbridge
we demand a say in how our work is used

Refused. If you find yourselves unable to do the work assigned to you, pick up your check and clear out. Otherwise, shut up and get back to work.

57 posted on 02/24/2019 2:31:38 PM PST by IronJack
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To: lowbridge

That group of Microsoft employees is actually small; but it knows how to get press, and it no doubt has enough leftist money muscle behind it to cow disagreeing fellow employees into silence.


58 posted on 02/24/2019 2:32:10 PM PST by Socon-Econ (adical Islam,)
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To: lowbridge

“we demand a say in how our work is used”

Hah, wow, OK. Good luck with that.


59 posted on 02/24/2019 2:32:43 PM PST by TheZMan (I am a secessionist.)
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To: DesertRhino

Your post, in a summary, says it all.


60 posted on 02/24/2019 2:37:09 PM PST by rlmorel (Leftists: They believe in the "Invisible Hand" only when it is guided by government.)
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