Google Fixes Rules for Inviting Guest Speakers to Its Offices After Recent Row Over Indian Speaker

Workers at Google and other big tech companies in recent years have clashed and protested over politics and racial and gender equity.

After cancelling a session by an Indian historian who had disparaged marginalised communities and their concerns, Alphabet's Google this week introduced guidelines for inviting guests to its headquarters, according to corporate emails obtained by Reuters.

The policy that Google unveiled on Thursday represents its most recent attempt to uphold an open culture while addressing differences that have grown as its workforce has expanded.

Over politics and issues of racial and gender fairness, employees at Google and other major tech businesses have recently battled and protested. Additionally, union organising campaigns are urging employees at Alphabet, Apple, and Amazon to demand that the corporations implement progressive policies.

The Google speaker policies, reviewed by Reuters, encourage employees to "examine whether there is a risk to the brand from certain speeches."a business reason for hosting the speaker and if the event directly supports our company goals."

It urges avoiding subjects that would "disrupt or damage Google's culture of belonging" and restates the prohibition on speakers endorsing political candidates and ballot initiatives.

According to Google spokesman Ryan Lamont, "We've always been happy to invite external speakers at Google, as they provide tremendous opportunities for learning and engagement for our employees." A productive workplace will be ensured by the modified procedure, which will "ensure these events are beneficial and contribute to it."

The policy, according to an email introducing it to managers, explains and unifies a jumble of regulations.

The open, university-like ethos that Google has valued since its founding is threatened by increased scrutiny. However, a more welcoming workplace might draw a more varied workforce, which could help Google create goods with a wider market.

It advises staying away from subjects that can "disrupt or undermine" efforts by Google to create products with a wider market.

Google recently reduced the frequency of company-wide meetings and tightened content moderation on workplace message boards as a result of internal conflicts that leaked into the public eye.

Competitors like Meta also have speaker invitation guidelines.

Retired US presidential contender Barack Obama, renowned chef Ayesha Curry, and former basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have all spoken at Google.

Messed UP

Thenmozhi Soundararajan, an author who fights for those who are oppressed by caste discrimination, was scheduled to speak on India's socioreligious caste system in April, but Google decided to postpone the event due to internal strife.

Internal Hindu group members had voiced their displeasure with Soundararajan describing her rhetoric as inflammatory, a charge she calls bigoted.

An internal message said that at least one of the critics suggested summoning Rajiv Malhotra for balance. The self-described contrarian author Malhotra, a former computer entrepreneur, has called campaigners like Soundararajan "snakes" and criticised affirmative action programmes that support lower caste groups.

Malhotra was eventually invited to talk about India's beneficial worldwide effect by the Hindu group at Google. A later release revealed that the organisers had postponed the discussion until November 10, the day before it was scheduled to take place at the Silicon Valley offices of Google.

According to a message asking for complaints regarding Malhotra, some employees protested to high management. The Alphabet Workers Union, a labour union that has been urging Google to include caste in its anti-discrimination rules, said in a related document that Malhotra had described homosexuality as a medical condition and Islam as a destructive force.

Malhotra told Reuters that while he is in favour of marginalised groups, he is against to "politicising bias in ways that split societies and make them susceptible to foreign colonisation."

Employee messages suggested that allowing his speak while rejecting Soundararajan's would have amounted to a double standard.

Employees "must submit a proposal and have it authorised" by a "cross-functional" review team, according to the new speaker policy. At least 12 weeks before an event, requests must be made.

Before contacting the speaker and/or their representative, it instructs, "Await a response." Failure to adhere to this procedure is against Google policies.