Leaked files expose how Google, Amazon quietly tipped off 'Israel' through coded payments

• Leaked files show Google and Amazon agreed to 'Israel’s' secret “winking mechanism” under Project Nimbus.
• The system used coded payments to alert 'Israel' when its data was accessed by foreign authorities.
• Both companies agreed not to restrict 'Israel’s' use of their cloud services, regardless of potential human rights issues.

Newly leaked documents reveal that Google and Amazon agreed to unusual and highly secretive conditions to secure a multibillion-dollar cloud-computing contract with the 'Israeli' government.

The 2021 deal, known as Project Nimbus, included a covert system called the “winking mechanism”, a coded alert system designed to quietly inform 'Israel' whenever its data was accessed by foreign authorities.

According to an investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call, the two tech giants accepted a series of unprecedented restrictions and commitments to win the USD 1.2 billion contract. These included promises not to interfere with 'Israel’s' use of their cloud technologies, even if that use might violate company policies or international human rights standards.

The secret “winking” system, detailed in 'Israeli' finance ministry documents, was devised to protect 'Israeli' data from being shared with foreign law enforcement. Under this mechanism, Google and Amazon would send coded payments to 'Israel', disguised as “special compensation”, whenever they were legally compelled to hand over 'Israeli' data abroad. The amount of each payment corresponded to the dialing code of the country requesting the data. For example, if data was disclosed to US authorities, the companies would transfer 1,000 shekels; if to Italy, 3,900 shekels.

Legal experts warned the mechanism could violate gag orders and secrecy laws in the US and Europe. “It seems awfully cute,” said one former US government lawyer, “but I don’t think a court would be sympathetic.”

The Nimbus deal also barred Google and Amazon from limiting 'Israel’s' access to their services under any circumstance, even if the technology was linked to military operations or surveillance programs. An 'Israeli' official described the arrangement simply as “there can be no restrictions.”

Critics say the companies effectively placed 'Israeli' government demands above their own corporate and legal standards. Both Google and Amazon denied wrongdoing, saying they have “not circumvented any legal obligations.”

The revelations come amid growing scrutiny over how major tech firms supply technology to 'Israel' during its ongoing war on Gaza. Microsoft, which lost its bid for the Nimbus contract, recently disabled 'Israeli' military access to certain services after confirming they were being used for mass surveillance of Palestinians, an action Google and Amazon would be contractually barred from taking.

A spokesperson for 'Israel’s' finance ministry rejected claims that the deal compels any company to breach laws, calling the allegations “baseless.”