Amazon And The Defense Department: CEO Jeff Bezos Pledges Company Support For The Pentagon

Amid questions about cooperation between Silicon Valley and the federal government, Jeff Bezos on Saturday pledged that Amazon will support the Department of Defense as that organization continues to pursue defense contracts with tech companies. Bezos said that he respects the views of those within the company who would oppose military contracts and the senior leaders would decide which sorts of projects Amazon would pursue.

“We are going to support the Department of Defense. This country is important,” Bezos said at a defense forum in Simi Valley, California. “My view is that if big tech is turning their back on the Department of Defense, this country is in big trouble.”

The tech and e-commerce giant has provided cloud computing tech to the Pentagon.

However, Amazon in November filed a lawsuit in response to the Defense Department choosing Microsoft for a $10 billion cloud computing contract. Amazon had been considered the favorite for the project but Bezos claims that politics interfered with the process and led to Microsoft’s successful bid, as there has been public tension between Bezos and President Trump.

The contract is part of a broader initiative to modernize the technology employed by the Pentagon.

Big Tech giants have faced pushback in their pursuit of Pentagon contracts, both from the public and from within.

In 2018, Google employees protested the company’s involvement with the Pentagon’s “Project Maven.” Employees citing conflicts with the company’s supposed mission statement of doing no harm with its technology and decisions. Google eventually decided against moving forward with the contract.