Google workers protest secretive, censored China project

More than 1,000 Google employees protested the tech giant’s secretive plans to build a search engine for China that would abide by the government’s strict censorship laws.

In a letter demanding increased transparency about the project, known as Dragonfly, Google employees wrote that they lacked the necessary information to make “ethically-informed decisions about our work, our projects, and our employment,” according to the letter, which was first published by The New York Times.

The workers asked Google to review ethics and transparency at the company.

“We urgently need more transparency, a seat at the table, and a commitment to clear and open processes: Google employees need to know what we’re building,” the signed letter reads.

The company, meanwhile, defended its China initiative as in the early stages and still exploratory, according to a transcript obtained Bloomberg.

Google employees penned a similar petition earlier this year in protest of Project Maven, a contract with the Pentagon for artificial intelligence work they said could be used for lethal purposes. The California-based company did not seek another contract following the backlash.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.