Sundar Pichai recently sent a memo to Google employees, underscoring the significance of maintaining a work environment free from political debates and distractions. This directive comes in the aftermath of the company terminating 28 employees who were reportedly involved in protests related to Google's projects, including the controversial Project Nimbus contract with the Israeli government during the conflict with Palestinians. Despite claims by the group 'No Tech for Apartheid' that the firings were unjust, Google confirmed the dismissal of the employees in question.
The memo, titled 'Mission First', reiterated Google's stance on workplace conduct, emphasizing the need for employees to prioritize the company's overarching goal of organizing and providing accessible information. Pichai emphasized that Google is a business environment where disrupting coworkers, using the company as a personal platform, or engaging in contentious political debates is not acceptable. The CEO stressed the importance of Google serving as an objective and trustworthy source of information for users worldwide.
Moreover, Google recently announced a structural change within the organization, merging the software division responsible for Android and Chrome with the hardware division, which includes Pixel smartphones and Fitbit wearables. This strategic move aims to enhance the integration of artificial intelligence across the company, with Pichai expressing optimism that the changes will drive innovation and benefit the Android and Chrome ecosystems. The consolidated operations will now be overseen by Rick Osterloh, a Google executive with prior experience in leading the company's hardware group. This decision marks a shift from Google's previous strategy of separating Android development from hardware to ensure fairness among smartphone manufacturers utilizing the Android platform.