Google CEO Sundar Pichai has announced that the company donates $8 million to support relief efforts for victims of the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas. The funds will be distributed to several local nonprofits that provide aid and assistance to those affected by the violence.
Israel is one of the main bases for Google, and the tech giant has over 2,000 staff in Tel Aviv and Haifa offices. In a statement, the company said their initial efforts were focused on ensuring the safety of employees and then battling misinformation. The next step for Google would be donating $8 million in relief funds to local nonprofits.
Google gives $8 million in relief funds to local nonprofits in Israel and Gaza
Pichai also expressed sympathy for both Jews and Muslims Googlers who are affected by the incident and are experiencing a rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Local NGOs could benefit significantly from the $8 million fund. The fighting has destroyed essential infrastructure and basic services. Many families lack access to electricity, clean water, or health care.
Google employees with company match raised $1 million. The company itself also donates $1 million in Search Ads for nonprofits. This could help NGOs to better connect with people and provide information to impacted people.
Google.org also raised an additional $3 million for “local emergency response, and psychological and emotional support for victims, children and families.” Another $3 million donated by Google allocates to organizations supporting people in Gaza, including Save the Children.
Besides providing financial aid, Google also adapts some of its apps for emergencies. The tech giant further added they’d deployed language capabilities to support emergency efforts. This includes universal dubbing, emergency translations, and localizing Google content to help users, businesses, and NGOs.
Interestingly, as schools are closed, Google Meet has become a primary platform for Israeli children. Google explains the Israeli Ministry of Education uses Meet as its “core teach-from-home platform.”
Finally, Google asserted content moderation is a “critical focus” for now, and they continue to battle misinformation. Following the conflict, many social platforms are dealing with offensive messages and fake content from both sides.
2023-10-19 15:09:45