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TECHNOLOGY Tuesday 8 augusT 2017

Google exec denounces employee’s views on female workers

By BARBARA ORTUTAY coding because it requires
AP Technology Writer systemizing.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Silicon The memo, which
Valley’s efforts to promote was shared on the tech
workforce diversity haven’t blog Gizmodo, attributes
yielded many results — un- biological differences be-
less you count a backlash tween men and women to
at Google, where a male the reason why “we don’t
engineer blamed biologi- have 50% representation of
cal differences for the pau- women in tech and leader-
city of female program- ship.”
mers. The employee, whose
His widely shared memo, identity hasn’t been re-
titled “Google’s Ideologi- leased, was described in
cal Echo Chamber,” also news reports as a software
criticizes Google for push- engineer.
ing mentoring and diversity While his views were broad-
programs and for “alienat- ly and publicly criticized
ing conservatives.” online, they echo the 2005
Google’s just-hired head statements by then-Har-
of diversity, Danielle Brown, vard President Lawrence
responded with her own Summers, who said the rea-
memo, saying that Google son there are fewer female
is “unequivocal in our belief scientists at top universities This Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, file photo shows Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.
that diversity and inclusion is in part due to “innate” Associated Press
are critical to our success.” gender differences.
She said change is hard Brande Stellings, senior vice broader range of job can- by holding mandatory “un- But, as the employee
and “often uncomfort- president of advisory servic- didates, by offering cod- conscious bias” training memo shows, not every-
able.” es for Catalyst, a nonprofit ing classes, internships and sessions for existing employ- one at Google is happy
The dueling memos come advocacy group for wom- mentorship programs and ees. with this.q
as Silicon Valley grapples en in the workplace, said
and discrimination. Google show “how ingrained, en- Hackers demand millions in
with accusations of sexism the engineer’s viewpoints

is also in the midst of a De- trenched and harmful gen-
partment of Labor investi- der-based stereotypes truly ransom for stolen HBO data
gation into whether it pays are.”
women less than men, “It’s much easier for some BY TALI ARBEL AND of legal claims against the formation, including sala-
while Uber’s CEO recently to point to ‘innate biologi- FRANK BAJAK network and job offer let- ries and social security
lost his job amid accusa- cal differences’ than to ASSOCIATED PRESS ters to top executives. numbers, of nearly 50,000
tions of widespread sexual confront the unconscious NEW YORK (AP) -- Hack- HBO, which previously ac- current and former Sony
harassment and discrimi- biases and obstacles that ers using the name “Mr. knowledged the theft of employees.
nation. get in the way of a level Smith” posted a fresh “proprietary information,” Those behind the HBO
Leading tech companies, playing field,” Stellings cache of stolen HBO files said it’s continuing to in- hack claim to have more
including Google, Face- wrote in an email. online Monday, and de- vestigate and is working data, including scripts, up-
book and Uber, have said Google, like other tech manded that HBO pay a with police and cyber- coming episodes of HBO
they are trying to improve companies, has far fewer ransom of several million security experts. The net- shows and movies, and
hiring and working condi- women than men in tech- dollars to prevent further work said Monday that it information damaging to
tions for women. But di- nology and leadership po- such releases. still doesn’t believe that its HBO.
versity numbers are barely sitions. Fifty-six percent of The data dump includ- email system as a whole In a video directed to HBO
changing . its workers are white and ed what appear to be has been compromised. CEO Richard Plepler, “Mr.
The Google employee 35 percent are Asian, while scripts from five “Game This is the second data Smith” used white text on
memo, which gained at- Hispanic and Black em- of Thrones” episodes, in- dump from the purported a black background to
tention online over the ployees make up 4 percent cluding one upcoming hacker. So far the HBO threaten further disclo-
weekend, begins by say- and 2 percent of its work- episode, and a month’s leaks have been limited, sures if HBO doesn’t pay
ing that only honest dis- force, respectively, ac- worth of email from the falling well short of the up. To stop the leaks, the
cussion will address a lack cording to the company’s account of Leslie Cohen, chaos inflicted on Sony in purported hackers de-
of equity. But it also asserts latest diversity report . HBO’s vice president for 2014. In that attack, hack- manded “our 6 month
that women “prefer jobs in Tech companies say they film programming. There ers unearthed thousands salary in bitcoin,” which
social and artistic areas” are trying, by reaching were also internal docu- of embarrassing emails they implied is at least $6
while more men “may like out to and interviewing a ments, including a report and released personal in- million.q