Google and Amazon have been dealing with a sensitive issue in their massive cloud computing deal with the Israeli government. The terms of this contract, known as Project Nimbus, contain a unique and somewhat concerning "winking mechanism" that requires the companies to subtly notify Israel when its data has been disclosed to foreign law enforcement authorities.
In essence, the winking mechanism is a secret code hidden in payments made by the companies to the Israeli government. The code takes the form of payment amounts corresponding to the telephone dialing code of the country where the data was requested. This allows Israel to receive advance notice when its data has been shared with foreign agencies.
According to leaked documents, this arrangement appears to be a response to concerns that the massive amount of cloud-based data stored in Israel could potentially fall into the wrong hands due to US and European laws on data protection. The Israeli government was worried that companies might bow to external pressure or court orders, which would allow them to access and analyze the sensitive information.
However, this arrangement has raised concerns among experts about potential risks for Google and Amazon as a US-based company. If they have to make decisions between adhering to their contractual obligations or complying with Israeli demands, it could lead to serious breaches of law.
In essence, the Nimbus deal is not merely about protecting Israel's interests; it also appears to be a way for Google and Amazon to circumvent certain legal restrictions on data disclosure while appearing to act in accordance with the law.
In essence, the winking mechanism is a secret code hidden in payments made by the companies to the Israeli government. The code takes the form of payment amounts corresponding to the telephone dialing code of the country where the data was requested. This allows Israel to receive advance notice when its data has been shared with foreign agencies.
According to leaked documents, this arrangement appears to be a response to concerns that the massive amount of cloud-based data stored in Israel could potentially fall into the wrong hands due to US and European laws on data protection. The Israeli government was worried that companies might bow to external pressure or court orders, which would allow them to access and analyze the sensitive information.
However, this arrangement has raised concerns among experts about potential risks for Google and Amazon as a US-based company. If they have to make decisions between adhering to their contractual obligations or complying with Israeli demands, it could lead to serious breaches of law.
In essence, the Nimbus deal is not merely about protecting Israel's interests; it also appears to be a way for Google and Amazon to circumvent certain legal restrictions on data disclosure while appearing to act in accordance with the law.
. I mean, can we really trust that Google and Amazon are acting purely out of the goodness of their hearts? I need some solid sources on this before I start jumping to conclusions... but it sounds like they're essentially creating a backdoor for Israel to access data without fully disclosing it to the US or EU governments. That raises some serious red flags for me, especially since these companies are based in the US 
. How do we know that complying with Israeli demands won't lead to them getting hacked or exploited? This whole thing just smells like a PR move to me 
i mean, i get why google and amazon want to protect israel's interests but this 'winking mechanism' is just shady 
like how can they justify this? it's basically a backdoor for israel to get its hands on sensitive data without anyone knowing 
and what about the laws that are meant to protect our data? shouldn't companies be able to make decisions based on international law instead of catering to one country's demands? 
by this news! like what even is this winking mechanism tho? it sounds like some kinda sneaky deal where google & amazon are basically saying "we'll tell you when someone's snooping on your data" 
but only in a way that doesn't actually do anything to stop the snooping... meanwhile israel gets to sit back and collect intel on foreign law enforcement, it's wild 
like, aren't google & amazon supposed to be all about protecting user data and stuff? this deal just seems super sketchy to me 
. They don't want to get in trouble with US or European laws on data protection, so they're just finding a way to work around them.
). Seriously though, it raises some serious questions about how these companies are handling sensitive info. Shouldn't they be prioritizing their customers' data protection over Israel's interests? 
Is Amazon still better than Google though? 
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... but they're not even in their own country anymore 
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, but this whole thing feels like a bit of a loophole 
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". But what if that winking mechanism is used to get info on US citizens or something? That's a major red flag 
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. Can't we just have some straightforward, honest agreements like everyone else? 
it's not just about US & european laws, it's also about national security... or so it seems 
these companies are essentially creating a backdoor for the gov to access our data whenever they want. what's next, them making deals with other countries to get access to our info? 
. It's like they're being asked to be the go-betweens for all these different countries, while also keeping their customers' info safe 
. Not sure what the best way out of this is, but I think it's gotta be carefully navigated 
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And what about other countries that might want in on this "data sharing" action? Where does it end? 
. i mean, what's next? them making a special "911" number in the payment codes for israel to call when they need to breach some law or order? it's like they're saying "we got you covered" but really they're just giving israel an easy way out 
. Google and Amazon are trying to appease Israel while also navigating the complexities of international data sharing 
. But what's really at play here? Are they prioritizing their relationships with powerful governments over the integrity of their own systems 
? And what does this say about our global digital landscape, where corporations and nations are increasingly intertwined 
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? The more I think about it, the more I realize that this contract is less about protecting Israel's secrets and more about shaping the global norms around data sharing 
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