Google employees practically rioted when they found out their employer was trying to get a contract with the American Government, but will just cash their RSUs when they help the Chinese government censor its citizens.
Sad.
Sad.
Shit, I don't know about 99% of the projects my company has been working until they hit the news.
Whereas the Maven project, there wasn't really a user benefiting.
Deciding to not join with others in the national defense is a very divisive and political decision.
Deciding to aid totalitarian governments with censorship and other activities is likewise divisive and political.
Deciding to back one major political party, but not the other - similarly divisive and political.
If they didn't want the criticism, they would just take the bucks and do the business for whoever is paying. They are at least giving the appearance of making these decisions on ideological grounds. This moves them more into the arena of being an political organization. In which case, saying you're just doing business is pretty lame.