Alphabet faces investor pressure over AI tech and government surveillance safeguards

Alphabet investors push for safeguards on use of its cloud, AI tech

LONDON, April 29 (Reuters) - A group of Alphabet (GOOGL.O), opens new tab shareholders are pressing the company to explain how it governs and controls the use of its technology and cloud services by governments for surveillance after the tech giant rejected calls for greater disclosure. In a letter to Alphabet, seen by Reuters, the group asked for a meeting with management after the Google owner opposed a shareholder resolution seeking a report on how it oversees the related risks. "Cloud-based services are a growing segment, and it's getting more and more militarized," said Marcela Pinilla, director of sustainable investing at Zevin Asset Management, which wrote the letter signed by 42 organizations and 14 individuals managing a combined $1.15 trillion in assets. "We don't see that they have strict controls over intervention in high-risk contexts. That's very risky for ⁠them if they don't have oversight of how their infrastructure is being used." The letter's signatories together own about $2.2 billion of Alphabet's shares, Pinilla said. Alphabet did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter. When urging shareholders to vote against the resolution, it said it had a "robust, multi-layered framework for data privacy and security" and that existing disclosures "already provide meaningful transparency around government access to data". It added that it maintains "rigorous oversight" of related risks and that a second report would be "duplicative and an ineffective use of our resources". The letter is part of a broader push by investors on data privacy and artificial intelligence governance at companies including Microsoft, Amazon and Apple, as cloud and AI services become more embedded in government and military operations. The investors said they want to understand how Alphabet assesses and mitigates the risk of misuse of ⁠its technology and services, and how it ensures government contracts give it the authority to intervene or cancel agreements if risks escalate. A resolution calling for data on the company's human rights due diligence secured an estimated 11.9% of independent votes last year but just 4.5% of total votes, partly due to the voting power of insiders such as founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. MASS SURVEILLANCE CONCERNS The letter cited concerns around Google's provision of services to U.S. immigration ⁠authorities, its role in Project Nimbus - a $1.2 billion cloud computing contract with Israel - and its operations in Saudi Arabia. The Pentagon's AI chief Cameron Stanley on Tuesday confirmed to CNBC that the Department of Defense would expand its use of Google's Gemini AI model. The investor letter said its concerns were heightened after Alphabet ⁠revised its AI Principles in 2025 to remove "categorical language restricting certain weapons and surveillance applications", increasing the importance of contractual safeguards and board-level oversight. Misuse of its technology could expose Alphabet to litigation, regulatory action or heavy fines, including penalties of up to 4% of revenue under ⁠Europe's General Data Protection Regulation, the resolution said. Against that backdrop, Lauren Compere, head of stewardship at asset manager Boston Common, which co-filed the resolution, said it was "really disconcerting" that Alphabet had refused to engage with investors. "We've given the company plenty of chances to engage in one-on-one or small group dialogue, and they haven't come to the table," she said. Editing by Dawn Kopecki and Mark Potter Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Simon Jessop Thomson Reuters Simon leads a team tracking how the financial system and companies more broadly are responding to the challenges posed by climate change, nature loss and other environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues including diversity and inclusion.

Alphabet investors push for safeguards on use of its cloud, AI tech

Investors are demanding answers from Alphabet regarding its technology and cloud services used by governments for surveillance. A group managing over a trillion dollars has written to the company seeking a meeting. They are concerned about the lack of strict controls on intervention in high-risk contexts. Alphabet previously opposed a shareholder resolution for a report, citing existing disclosures and frameworks. A group of Alphabet shareholders are pressing the company to explain how it governs and controls the use of its technology and cloud services by governments for surveillance after the tech giant rejected calls for greater disclosure. In a letter to Alphabet, seen by Reuters, the group asked for a meeting with management after the Google owner opposed a shareholder resolution seeking a report on how it oversees the related risks. "Cloud-based services are a growing segment, and it's getting more and more militarized," said Marcela Pinilla, director of sustainable ⁠investing at ⁠Zevin Asset Management, which wrote the letter signed by 42 organizations and 14 individuals managing a combined $1.15 trillion in assets. "We don't see that they have strict controls over intervention in high-risk contexts. That's very risky for them if they don't have oversight of how their infrastructure is being used." The letter's signatories together own about $2.2 billion of Alphabet's shares, Pinilla said. Alphabet did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter. When urging shareholders to vote against the resolution, it said it had a "robust, multi-layered framework for data privacy and security" and that existing disclosures "already provide meaningful transparency around government ⁠access to data". It added that it maintains "rigorous oversight" of related risks and that a second report would be "duplicative and an ineffective use of our resources". The letter is part of a broader push by investors on data ⁠privacy and artificial intelligence governance at companies including Microsoft, Amazon and Apple, as cloud and AI services become more embedded in government and military operations. The investors said they want to understand how Alphabet assesses and mitigates the risk of misuse of its technology and services, and how it ensures government contracts give it the authority to intervene or cancel agreements if risks escalate. A resolution calling for data on the company's human rights due diligence secured an estimated 11.9% of independent votes last year but just 4.5% of total votes, partly due to the voting power of insiders such as founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. MASS SURVEILLANCE CONCERNS The letter cited concerns around Google's provision of services to U.S. immigration authorities, its role in Project Nimbus - a $1.2 billion cloud computing contract with Israel - and its operations in Saudi Arabia. The Pentagon's AI chief Cameron Stanley on Tuesday confirmed to CNBC that ⁠the Department of Defense would expand its use of Google's Gemini AI model. The investor letter said its concerns were heightened after Alphabet revised its AI Principles in 2025 to remove "categorical language restricting certain weapons and surveillance applications", increasing the importance of contractual safeguards and board-level oversight. Misuse of its technology could expose Alphabet to litigation, regulatory action or heavy fines, including penalties of up to 4% of revenue under Europe's General Data Protection Regulation, the resolution said. Against that backdrop, Lauren Compere, head of stewardship at asset manager Boston Common, which co-filed the resolution, said it was "really disconcerting" that Alphabet had refused to engage with investors. "We've given the company plenty of chances to engage in one-on-one or small group dialogue, and they haven't come to the table," she said.