While it’s possible for companies to keep secrets, most companies lack the secrecy and paranoia required to really keep big secrets for long periods of time. These companies tend to leak, both because people move around a lot, and because unlike governments they lack the ability to throw leakers in jail.

If google was actually futzing about with the auctions like that, we’d probably find out eventually.

Snowden is running from the government, not from a corporation.

Google is a client of the Pinkertons, a very old union busting company with a history of brutal tactics [0]. One of their employees was recently charged in a murder during riots in Denver [1].

[0] https://newrepublic.com/article/147619/pinkertons-still-neve... [1] https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/juliareinstein/security...

That is factually incorrect regarding the the classification of the aforementioned person as an employee of Pinkerton’s.

Pinkerton sub-contracted this person.

My apologies, thanks for correcting me.

It’s not really the same organization anymore; they got bought by Securitas in 1999.

Your comment is irresponsible. You're saying "I'm not saying it could happen here, but it could happen here"

Conversely, a corporate whistleblower at the level we're discussing is in for a payday from media/book deals, etc.

My statement isn't irresponsible. Corporations are universally amoral. If it was in Google's interests to do it, they would. But I think that, right now, those interests don't exist.

That being said, someone that is in that situation, if the stakes are high enough, might be dissuaded just knowing that such things happen.

People make decisions. At some point, all corporate decisions go through people.

Would you (reader) want to bet your life against a conference room full of people with $1M+ worth of stock options you're about to negatively impact? Where a bad outcome for you only requires their silence?

There are many people in the world who value morals over money. There are a few who value morals over lots of money. But that's not a bet I'd take.

Me neither. It's a very small likelihood, but I highly value my life. Just knowing about that possibility would chill me to the bone.