Major tech companies like Google and Microsoft are ramping up security at conferences, following a series of pro-Palestine protests. Microsoft’s annual Build conference, 19-22 May at the Seattle Convention Center, faced disruptions from employees protesting the company’s contracts with the Israeli government. Undercover guards dressed as attendees quickly removed protesters. Two employees were fired after the incidents.
“No Azure for apartheid”
The protesters shouted things like “No Azure for apartheid!” and “How about you show how Microsoft is killing Palestinians?” They were part of employee groups like “No Azure for Apartheid” that formed at Microsoft, Google and Amazon to oppose their companies’ work with the Israeli government.
CEO Satya Nadella was interrupted during his keynote by employee Joe Lopez, who shouted about Microsoft’s Azure cloud services. Another employee disrupted Executive vice-president Jay Parikh’s presentation with similar protests.
The disruptions follow a pattern. Microsoft employees had previously interrupted the company’s 50th anniversary celebrations in April. Google faced similar protests at its developer conference, with employees demanding the company withdraw from its Project Nimbus contract – a $1.2bn deal to provide AI technology to the Israeli government.
At Google’s I/O conference (Shoreline Amphitheater, California) on 20-21 May, security guards lined the main stage and conducted thorough bag searches at entrances. Guards opened lipstick cases and confiscated over-the-counter medications.
Just a response to pro-Palestine protests?
The heightened security stems from multiple factors, not just an increase in pro-Palestine protests. Tech companies’ increased work with governments has contributed to security needs. The December shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson also, reportedly, influenced corporate security decisions.
AI development adds another layer of complexity. Companies are walking back bans on military use of their products and entering deals with defence contractors. This creates internal tensions that can, and have, spilled into public events.
“It’s sort of a turbulent world we live in, politically and otherwise right now,” Kenneth Bombace, CEO of Global Threat Solutions, told CNBC.
Companies are responding beyond just security measures. Google expanded its list of prohibited discussion topics to include international issues and military conflicts. Microsoft employees reported that emails containing words like “Gaza” or “Palestine” wouldn’t send after the protests.
Undercover agents and exec protection
The trend extends to executive protection. Google increased CEO Sundar Pichai’s security costs by 22% in 2024 to $8.27m, CNBC reported. At least a dozen S&P 500 companies highlighted increased security costs in recent disclosures.
Undercover agents are becoming increasingly common at corporate events. “They’ll be in the crowd and say ‘we have a suspicious male who’s wearing a white shirt in row three’,” Bombace explained.
Security firms seeing increased demand from corporates
Security firms report increased demand from corporate clients. “We definitely have seen an uptick in the request for security, specifically in the last six to nine months,” Richard Dossett from American Global Security told CNBC.
What events were affected?
Microsoft Build (Seattle Convention Center) had protests and used undercover security. Google I/O (Shoreline Amphitheater) had “security guards lined the mainstage” and thorough bag searches. Google also faced protests at its developer conference last year.
The changes will affect how corporate events operate. Planners of tech events (as well as any event loosely tied to the Israel-Palestine conflict) are now being forced to factor in protest risks, security screening delays and higher venue costs.
