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Google response (from Jan): "Our security systems automatically lock an employee’s corporate account when they detect that the account is at risk of compromise

Google response (from Jan): "Our security systems automatically lock an employee’s corporate account when they detect that the account is at risk of compromise due to credential problems or when an automated rule involving the handling of sensitive data has been triggered. In this instance, yesterday our systems detected that an account had exfiltrated thousands of files and shared them with multiple external accounts. We explained this to the employee earlier today. We are actively investigating this matter as part of standard procedures to gather additional details.” https://venturebeat.com/2021/01/20/google-targets-ai-ethics-lead-margaret-mitchell-after-firing-timnit-gebru/ https://venturebeat.com/2021/01/20/google-targets-ai-ethics-...

thewarrior 6y ago
That seems like a pretty serious accusation. Looks like relations between management and employees has seriously deteriorated.
- jariel 6y ago
  A company with 100 000 people will have to quite a number of staff, literally daily, for all sorts of things, it doesn't remotely imply anything about the overall relationship between staff and management. Even when CNN, MSNBC, Business Insider 'team up' to overrepresent an issue because 'some number of Google employees walked out for some reason' - it really doesn't help tell the story of 'relations' because it's hard to fathom what the rest of the 99% of Google staff think.
  - thewarrior 6y ago
    I meant to say relations between management and staff in the AI ethics division.
- dmix 6y ago
  Always seems to be from the same divisions. That said, anything that makes Google a less effective organization I support. Funny how they co-announced monetary incentives around "diversity and inclusion", I expect nothing less from a giant evil ad company. A bunch of handwavy idpol stuff with the giant elephants in the room seems to be the status quo.
lsb 6y ago
What were they afraid she was going to do, take all the ethics?
- khazhoux 6y ago
  Releasing even a single internal document without permission is cause for firing, and possible legal action. I can't even fathom this being up for debate.
  - lmilcin 6y ago
    Not necessarily. Google's US-based employees would be protected by Sarbanes-Oxley Act if they did it to report on fraud. But generally, yes. Unless you have a truly extraordinary reason you can get easily fired in most companies.
    - bpodgursky 6y ago
      Disclosing documents to a federal investigator (or regulator) is wildly different than sending it to an ex-coworker.
    - rsj_hn 6y ago
      Sarbanes Oxley provides protections for reporting accounting fraud against shareholders to the US government. Not for leaking docs to private citizens. https://www.whistleblowers.gov/statutes/sox_amended https://www.whistleblowers.gov/statutes/sox_amended
      - lmilcin 6y ago
        The parent said: > Releasing even a single internal document without permission is cause for firing, and possible legal action. I can't even fathom this being up for debate. I was referring to "releasing", in general, as it was written in the comment. Obviously the protection is very conditional on how exactly it is done.
uncledave 6y ago
AI system fires AI ethics leader? Hmm this wasn't the machine uprising I was expecting.
supergirl 6y ago
how would this system detect sharing with external accounts? sounds like they put some words together to make it sound like it’s all standardized and automated and not result of human actions
- bitcharmer 6y ago
  You are wrong. All outgoing email is being scanned for sensitive information in plain text or attachments. This is standard practice in every corporation and something you are being warned about when being on-boarded as a new-joiner.
  - supergirl 6y ago
    why would she email it from her corp account to various accounts instead of emailing it to her personal account or just uploading it directly to some personal drive account
    - bitcharmer 6y ago
      > all outgoing email And of course this same applies to file uploads. Again, this is standard practice in any company with IT security.
      - supergirl 6y ago
        > an account had exfiltrated thousands of files and shared them with multiple external accounts I'm just questioning why she would email to multiple external accounts directly from her corp email instead of saving to 1 personal account and then sharing from there, undetectable, many times. And yes, they would still have detected the 1 email but I'm questioning the accuracy of this explanation; sounds partly made up to make it sound more serious.
        pseudalopex 6y ago
        Multiple external accounts could mean her lawyer's account and her own. Or 2 lawyers' accounts. The latter would help show she didn't distribute the files to anyone else.

thewarrior 6y ago

That seems like a pretty serious accusation. Looks like relations between management and employees has seriously deteriorated.

jariel 6y ago
A company with 100 000 people will have to quite a number of staff, literally daily, for all sorts of things, it doesn't remotely imply anything about the overall relationship between staff and management. Even when CNN, MSNBC, Business Insider 'team up' to overrepresent an issue because 'some number of Google employees walked out for some reason' - it really doesn't help tell the story of 'relations' because it's hard to fathom what the rest of the 99% of Google staff think.
- thewarrior 6y ago
  I meant to say relations between management and staff in the AI ethics division.
dmix 6y ago
Always seems to be from the same divisions. That said, anything that makes Google a less effective organization I support. Funny how they co-announced monetary incentives around "diversity and inclusion", I expect nothing less from a giant evil ad company. A bunch of handwavy idpol stuff with the giant elephants in the room seems to be the status quo.

lsb 6y ago

What were they afraid she was going to do, take all the ethics?

khazhoux 6y ago
Releasing even a single internal document without permission is cause for firing, and possible legal action. I can't even fathom this being up for debate.
- lmilcin 6y ago
  Not necessarily. Google's US-based employees would be protected by Sarbanes-Oxley Act if they did it to report on fraud. But generally, yes. Unless you have a truly extraordinary reason you can get easily fired in most companies.
  - bpodgursky 6y ago
    Disclosing documents to a federal investigator (or regulator) is wildly different than sending it to an ex-coworker.
  - rsj_hn 6y ago
    Sarbanes Oxley provides protections for reporting accounting fraud against shareholders to the US government. Not for leaking docs to private citizens. https://www.whistleblowers.gov/statutes/sox_amended https://www.whistleblowers.gov/statutes/sox_amended
    - lmilcin 6y ago
      The parent said: > Releasing even a single internal document without permission is cause for firing, and possible legal action. I can't even fathom this being up for debate. I was referring to "releasing", in general, as it was written in the comment. Obviously the protection is very conditional on how exactly it is done.

uncledave 6y ago

AI system fires AI ethics leader? Hmm this wasn't the machine uprising I was expecting.

supergirl 6y ago

how would this system detect sharing with external accounts? sounds like they put some words together to make it sound like it’s all standardized and automated and not result of human actions

bitcharmer 6y ago
You are wrong. All outgoing email is being scanned for sensitive information in plain text or attachments. This is standard practice in every corporation and something you are being warned about when being on-boarded as a new-joiner.
- supergirl 6y ago
  why would she email it from her corp account to various accounts instead of emailing it to her personal account or just uploading it directly to some personal drive account
  - bitcharmer 6y ago
    > all outgoing email And of course this same applies to file uploads. Again, this is standard practice in any company with IT security.
    - supergirl 6y ago
      > an account had exfiltrated thousands of files and shared them with multiple external accounts I'm just questioning why she would email to multiple external accounts directly from her corp email instead of saving to 1 personal account and then sharing from there, undetectable, many times. And yes, they would still have detected the 1 email but I'm questioning the accuracy of this explanation; sounds partly made up to make it sound more serious.
      - pseudalopex 6y ago
        Multiple external accounts could mean her lawyer's account and her own. Or 2 lawyers' accounts. The latter would help show she didn't distribute the files to anyone else.