Microsoft Faces Protests and Launches Review Over Alleged Use of Azure in Israeli Surveillance

Microsoft employee arrested at headquarters while protesting Israel contracts

A Microsoft employee has been arrested as part of protests at the company's headquarters in Redmond, Washington this week. On Tuesday, a group of current and former Microsoft employees, as well as community members, took over a plaza at Microsoft's headquarters to protest against the company's contracts with Israel. The No Azure for Apartheid protest group says at least one Microsoft employee has now been arrested as part of 18 arrests in a second day of protests. Protestors at Microsoft's headquarters set up a "Liberated Zone" encampment for a second day on Wednesday, and poured red paint over a Microsoft sign on campus. Komo News reports that Redmond Police allege that some protesters also "blocked a pedestrian bridge, and tried to create a barrier using stolen tables and chairs." While the group of protesters were moved on peacefully on the first day of protests on Tuesday, Redmond Police arrested 18 people at Wednesday's protests and claim some protestors "became aggressive." At least one of the 18 arrested is a current Microsoft employee, Abdo Mohamed, a No Azure for Apartheid organizer and former tech worker fired by Microsoft, confirmed to The Verge. "Those arrested include current and former Microsoft workers as well as Seattle community members," says the No Azure for Apartheid group in a press release. The group has been organizing a series of protests against Microsoft's cloud contracts with the Israeli government in recent months. A former Microsoft employee disrupted the company's 50th anniversary event and called Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman a "war profiteer." Microsoft's three CEOs were also interrupted by another former Microsoft employee during the same event. The group also disrupted Microsoft's Build conference earlier this year multiple times, and Microsoft even blocked emails that contain "Palestine" after these employee protests. The latest protests come just days after The Guardian, in partnership with +972 Magazine and Local Call, published an investigation which revealed that the Israeli government is relying on Microsoft's cloud services to store recordings and data of up to "a million calls an hour" made by Palestinians. "The company announced last week that it is pursuing a thorough and independent review of new allegations first reported earlier this month about the purported use of its Azure platform in Israel," says an unnamed Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to Komo News. "Microsoft will continue to do the hard work needed to uphold its human rights standards in the Middle East, while supporting and taking clear steps to address unlawful actions that damage property, disrupt business or that threaten and harm others."

Microsoft reviewing Israeli military's use of its tech amid worker protests

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) -- Worker-led protests erupted at Microsoft headquarters this week as the tech company promises an "urgent" review of the Israeli military's use of its technology during the ongoing war in Gaza. A second day of protests at the Microsoft campus on Wednesday called for the tech giant to immediately cut its business ties with Israel. Microsoft late last week said it was tapping a law firm to investigate allegations reported by British newspaper The Guardian that the Israeli Defense Forces used Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform to store phone call data obtained through the mass surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. "Microsoft's standard terms of service prohibit this type of usage," the company said in a statement posted Friday, adding that the report raises "precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review." The company said it will share the findings after law firm Covington & Burling completes its review. The promised review was insufficient for the employee-led No Azure for Apartheid group, which for months has protested Microsoft's supplying the Israeli military with technology used for its war against Hamas in Gaza. In February, The Associated Press revealed previously unreported details about the American tech giant's close partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, with military use of commercial AI products skyrocketing by nearly 200 times after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The AP reported that the Israeli military uses Azure to transcribe, translate and process intelligence gathered through mass surveillance, which can then be cross-checked with Israel's in-house AI-enabled targeting systems. Following The AP's report, Microsoft acknowledged the military applications but said a review it commissioned found no evidence that its Azure platform and artificial intelligence technologies were used to target or harm people in Gaza. Microsoft did not share a copy of that review or say who conducted it. Microsoft in May fired an employee who interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella to protest the contracts, and in April, fired two others who interrupted the company's 50th anniversary celebration.

18 arrested at Microsoft headquarters in latest protest over Israel tech contracts

REDMOND, Wash. -- Eighteen people were arrested on the Microsoft campus Wednesday afternoon, including some current and former employees, as protesters continued to escalate their campaign against the company over its role in providing technology to Israel. It was the second straight day of protests by members of the group No Azure for Apartheid. The group is calling on Microsoft to cut all ties to the Israeli military and government, alleging that the company's technology is being used in the surveillance, starvation and killing of Palestinians in Gaza. Redmond police said they were dispatched around 12:15 p.m. to the plaza of Microsoft's East Campus. Protesters poured red paint on the large Microsoft sign, symbolizing blood. They also used tables and chairs to form a barrier on a nearby pedestrian bridge, according to police. In contrast with a protest Tuesday, when the group dismantled their encampment after police warned them of imminent arrest, members of the group refused to leave, resisted and "became aggressive," police said in a statement. There was a large law enforcement presence, as Redmond police were joined by Washington State Patrol, Bellevue Police, and Kirkland Police. The arrests were for charges including trespassing, malicious mischief, resisting arrest and obstruction. Police said no injuries were reported. One of those arrested was Hossam Nasr, a leader of the group who was fired from Microsoft last year after an earlier protest on the Redmond campus, for what the company described as violations of its policies designed to prevent workplace disruption. Abdo Mohamed, an organizer of the group who was also fired by Microsoft last year, said after the protest Wednesday that the "escalations will continue" as long as Microsoft is "embedded in the Israeli economy of genocide and apartheid" against Palestinians in Gaza. He said Microsoft seemed to be showing more outrage over red paint and relocated chairs than over its technology's alleged role in the killing and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza. In a statement, Microsoft said the group "engaged in vandalism and property damage" after returning to campus for a second day. The company accused protesters of disrupting and harassing local small businesses at a lunchtime farmer's market for employees, and taking their tables and tents. "Microsoft will continue to do the hard work needed to uphold its human rights standards in the Middle East, while supporting and taking clear steps to address unlawful actions that damage property, disrupt business or that threaten and harm others," the company said. The company reiterated its commitment to its human rights standards and noted it is "pursuing a thorough and independent review of new allegations" regarding the use of its Azure platform in the surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza. Microsoft announced Aug. 15 that it had hired the law firm Covington & Burling LLP to lead the review after reports in The Guardian and other outlets alleged Israeli forces used Microsoft servers as part of the mass surveillance of Palestinians. The company said the report contained "additional and precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review," and noted that it would publicly release the findings. In past statements, Microsoft has said it complies with its human rights commitments, and that its contracts with Israel's Ministry of Defense are standard commercial agreements, governed by its terms of service and AI Code of Conduct. Earlier this year, Microsoft said internal and external reviews found no violations. However, the company at the time also acknowledged its limited visibility into how its technology is deployed on private or on-premises systems.

Microsoft launches formal review into alleged use of its Azure cloud in Palestinian surveillance

Microsoft, under continued pressure over the use of its technology by the Israeli military, said Friday that it's launching a formal review into allegations that its cloud services were used as part of the mass surveillance of Palestinians. The move follows the Aug. 6 reports in The Guardian, +972 Magazine and Local Call, citing sources who said the Israeli Defense Forces stored data from widespread phone monitoring of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank on Microsoft Azure servers. The company said its terms of service would prohibit this type of usage. When the story was initially published, the company said its work with an Israeli intelligence unit was for cybersecurity purposes, and that it was not aware of any civilian surveillance. "Microsoft appreciates that The Guardian's recent report raises additional and precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review," the company said in a new update to a post from May about an earlier review about the use of its technology by the Israeli military. For the new review, Microsoft said it has engaged the law firm Covington & Burling LLP, with technical assistance from an unnamed independent consulting firm. The company promised to publicly release the findings once the process is complete. The company said the effort will expand on the earlier review, which found no violations of its terms of service by the Israeli military. In that review, Microsoft acknowledged it had limited visibility into how its software is used on private or on-premises systems. The announcement comes amid ongoing protests from a group called No Azure for Apartheid, consisting of current and former Microsoft employees and others who are calling for the company to end its AI and cloud contracts with the Israeli military. Members of the group have staged repeated demonstrations at Microsoft events, arguing that the company's technology is enabling human rights abuses against Palestinians.

Microsoft Probing Whether Israel Used Its Cloud to Build Palestinian Surveillance System

For the past two years, Microsoft has been dogged by accusationsâ€"both within and outside the companyâ€"that its technology is aiding the Israeli war effort. Microsoft's own employees have protested the firm's contracts with Israel, and protesters have disrupted the company's various talks and conferences. Even the company's 50th anniversary was ruined by shouts from one of its own employees, who reportedly yelled “Shame on you†while calling the company's head of AI a "war profiteer" who was "using AI for genocide." Now, the company claims it's launched an “urgent†probe into whether its cloud business is being used by Israel to conduct a massive surveillance operation in Gaza. The company's announcement comes on the heels of a report published by The Guardian, which claims that Unit 8200, Israel's shadowy intelligence agency, had been using Microsoft's Azure cloud servers. The report claimed that, as part of a deal with Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, the spy unit had been granted access to a "customised and segregated area within Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform." The siloed cloud setup was ultimately used to build a "sweeping and intrusive system" designed to collect and store "recordings of millions of mobile phone calls made each day by Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank," the report claimed. On Friday, Microsoft told The Guardian:  “Microsoft appreciates that the Guardian’s recent report raises additional and precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review.†The review of Microsoft's dealings with Israel will be overseen by attorneys at the law firm Covington & Burling, the outlet wrote. Gizmodo reached out to Microsoft for more information. In a statement previously shared with The Guardian, the company said that, if Israel is “using Azure for the storage of data files of phone calls obtained through broad or mass surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank,†it would represent a violation of its terms of service. This is the second legal probe Microsoft has opened into its relationship with the Israeli government. The prior probe took place earlier this year, after its employees' protests. In May, Microsoft released a report in which it claimed to have found "no evidence to date that Microsoft’s Azure and AI technologies have been used to target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza.†Other big tech firmsâ€"most notably Amazon and Googleâ€"have also been accused of complicity in Israel's military efforts. In July, a U.N. group released a report that claimed that Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon grant Israel virtually government-wide access to their cloud and artificial intelligence technologies, enhancing data processing, decision-making, and surveillance and analysis capacities."

Microsoft workers occupy HQ in protest against company's ties to Israeli military

Employees outraged by report Azure platform used by Israel to store surveillance data collected on Palestinians Dozens of Microsoft employees occupied the company's east campus in Redmond, Washington to protest against what they say is the use of its software by the Israeli military to carry out operations in Gaza and enable the surveillance of Palestinians. Three months after the company said it was launching an independent investigation into the use of its Azure software, current and former staff occupied a space they declared the "Free Zone", holding placards that read "Join The Worker Intifada - No Labor for Genocide" and "Martyred Palestinian Children's Plaza". The protests, organised by the No Azure for Genocide group, has demanded Microsoft divest from Israel. Earlier this year, employee Joe Lopez interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella at the annual developer conference. "Satya, how about you show how Microsoft is killing Palestinians," said Lopez. Demonstrator Hossam Nasr said on Tuesday they had decided to escalate their actions because there had been no adequate response from Microsoft. He felt personally motivated to speak out more vigorously after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out the targeted killing of the high-profile Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, one of five members of the media who was killed earlier this month in the operation. "I watched him report on Gaza relentlessly, through starvation, through extermination campaigns, through bombing. He was the voice of the business. He was intentionally targeted," said Nasr, 26, who worked for Microsoft for three years but was fired last year after organising a vigil for Palestine outside the company's offices. "It happened the same week news came out from the Guardian that Microsoft is storing mass surveillance data collected from calls from Palestinians." Earlier this month, the Guardian and Israel's +972 Magazine revealed Israel's military surveillance agency, Unit 8200, was making use of Azure to store countless recordings of mobile phone calls made by Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza. The company said it was not aware "of the surveillance of civilians or collection of their cellphone conversations using Microsoft's services". The protest at Microsoft comes against the backdrop of increased warnings from organisations such as the UN about "widespread starvation, malnutrition and disease" in Gaza. The Gaza health ministry has estimated at least 62,000 Palestinians have been killed since the IDF launched its operations in the aftermath of Hamas's 7 October attacks. Nasreen Jaradat, 29, a Microsoft employee, said: "Every single second that we wait, things are worse and worse in Palestine." She added: "People are getting hungrier and hungrier. More and more people are being bombed and maimed. It's time for us to escalate, however we can." The protest ended after about two hours when police told the demonstrators to leave and said they would be arrested for trespassing. A Microsoft spokesperson said the group of demonstrators "was asked to leave, and they left". The spokesperson said it had nothing to add to a statement made last week about an inquiry it had undertaken into allegations Azure was being used to surveil Palestinians. "Based on these reviews, including interviewing dozens of employees and assessing documents, we have found no evidence to date that Microsoft's Azure and AI technologies have been used to target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza," it said. Microsoft employs as many as 47,000 people at Redmond. While some took the flyers handed out on Tuesday by the activists and read them, others continued to tuck into their lunches in the restaurants that surrounded the square. One 28-year-old employee who was watching the protests said he sympathised with the demonstrators but did not think they would have much impact. "I don't think it will," said the man, who asked not to be named. The demonstrators say their efforts are part of a process to educate people. "I think we are inspiring conversation among the people who work at Microsoft to feel more comfortable talking about this with each other and about how their work is contributing to genocide," said another employee, Julius Shan, 28. People are still learning how the company is linked to genocide, he said. "But that's the nature of learning new information."

Microsoft employee protests lead to 18 arrests as company reviews its work with Israel's military

Police officers arrested 18 people at worker-led protests at Microsoft headquarters Wednesday as the tech company promises an "urgent" review of the Israeli military's use of its technology during the ongoing war in Gaza. Two consecutive days of protest at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington called for the tech giant to immediately cut its business ties with Israel. But unlike Tuesday, when about 35 protesters occupying a plaza between office buildings left after Microsoft asked them to leave, the protesters on Wednesday "resisted and became aggressive" after the company told police they were trespassing, according to the Redmond Police Department. The protesters also splattered red paint resembling the color of blood over a landmark sign that bears the company logo and spells Microsoft in big gray letters. "We said, 'Please leave or you will be arrested,' and they chose not to leave so they were detained," said police spokesperson Jill Green. Microsoft late last week said it was tapping a law firm to investigate allegations reported by British newspaper The Guardian that the Israeli Defense Forces used Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform to store phone call data obtained through the mass surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. "Microsoft's standard terms of service prohibit this type of usage," the company said in a statement posted Friday, adding that the report raises "precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review." In February, The Associated Press revealed previously unreported details about the tech giant's close partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, with military use of commercial artificial intelligence products skyrocketing by nearly 200 times after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The AP reported that the Israeli military uses Azure to transcribe, translate and process intelligence gathered through mass surveillance, which can then be cross-checked with Israel's in-house AI-enabled targeting systems. Following The AP's report, Microsoft acknowledged the military applications but said a review it commissioned found no evidence that its Azure platform and artificial intelligence technologies were used to target or harm people in Gaza. Microsoft did not share a copy of that review or say who conducted it. Microsoft said it will share the latest review's findings after it's completed by law firm Covington & Burling. The promise of a second review was insufficient for the employee-led No Azure for Apartheid group, which for months has protested Microsoft's supplying the Israeli military with technology used for its war against Hamas in Gaza. The group said Wednesday the technology is "being used to surveil, starve and kill Palestinians." Microsoft in May fired an employee who interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella to protest the contracts, and in April, fired two others who interrupted the company's 50th anniversary celebration. On Tuesday, the protesters posted online a call for what they called a "worker intifada," using language evoking the Palestinian uprisings against Israeli military occupation that began in 1987. On Wednesday, the police department said it took 18 people into custody "for multiple charges, including trespassing, malicious mischief, resisting arrest, and obstruction." It wasn't clear how many were Microsoft employees. No injuries were reported. Microsoft said in a statement after the arrests that it "will continue to do the hard work needed to uphold its human rights standards in the Middle East, while supporting and taking clear steps to address unlawful actions that damage property, disrupt business or that threaten and harm others."

Microsoft launches formal review into Gaza surveillance claims

Microsoft said Friday that it's conducting an independent review of the use of its cloud computing technology by the Israeli Defense Forces, following several recent media reports. For months, Microsoft has been facing ongoing pressure from employees and activists over its commercial relationship with Israel's Ministry of Defense. The Redmond-based tech giant said in a May blog post it found no evidence through an internal review that its Azure cloud technology was used to target or harm people in Gaza. Microsoft maintained then it provided the Israel Ministry of Defense with software, professional services, cloud and AI services and language translation. It also added that it provides cybersecurity services to the Israeli government and other countries in the Middle East. On Friday, Microsoft updated the blog post, saying it doesn't always have full visibility into how its customers use its software on their own servers or devices. The change comes in response to reports from The Guardian, Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and Hebrew-language outlet Local Call citing anonymous sources that said a unit within the Israeli Defense Forces was using Azure servers to store troves of data. The reports added that the data included millions of mobile phone calls made by Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank that "has shaped military operations" in those areas. On Friday, Microsoft said that the claims made in The Guardian's report would violate the company's standard terms of service. "Microsoft appreciates that The Guardian's recent report raises additional and precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review," the company said Friday. "The company will share with the public the factual findings that result from this review, once it is complete." The company tapped the law firm Covington & Burling LLP to conduct the review. No Azure for Apartheid, an activist organization with current and former Microsoft employees involved, responded to Microsoft's announcement by saying the move was another tactic to delay cutting ties with the Israeli military. "Microsoft's so-called urgent inquiry into its business with Israel's Unit 8200 is nothing more than a stalling tactic," said Abdo Mohamed, a No Azure for Apartheid organizer, in a statement. Just like it did in May, the group said it is actively applying pressure on Microsoft to disclose all ties with the Israeli military, terminate any contracts and call for a ceasefire. Mohamed was one of two workers who said they were fired for organizing an unauthorized vigil at Microsoft's Redmond headquarters for Palestinians killed in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war. Hossam Nasr was the other fired employee. He's also an organizer for No Azure for Apartheid. The group has ramped up protests and demonstrations since then, showing up to Microsoft events hosted by the company and others. The group stationed protesters outside a Microsoft-focused event held by tech publication GeekWire in March at the event venue, Town Hall Seattle. During the event, a group member disrupted a chat with Microsoft President Brad Smith, demanding the company cut ties with Israel and calling him a war criminal until they were escorted out. Similar disruptions occurred during Microsoft's 50th anniversary celebration in April. One employee interrupted a panel between CEO Satya Nadella, former CEO Steve Ballmer and founder Bill Gates. Another disrupted an address from AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. Both were fired. At both events, other protesters chanted but weren't met with any force outside. Tensions reached a flash point in May during Microsoft's developer-focused Build conference at the Seattle Convention Center. Disruptions during speeches erupted at Build. Not long after Nadella's keynote address kicking off the conference started, a protester interrupted it before being escorted out. As Nadella's keynote address wrapped up, dozens of No Azure for Apartheid demonstrators marched from a rally Westlake Park to the Seattle Convention Center, where they faced a closed entrance to the building. After blockading the entrance near the convention center arch, protesters marched around the building to a back entrance underneath Interstate 5 and attempted to push their way in. They were met swiftly by private security, Seattle police officers and some were sprayed with pepper spray. No Azure for Apartheid's protest at Build occurred days after Microsoft's initial blog post about its relationship with the Israeli government. A blog post that the activist group rejected as well, calling it "absurd justifications." "In one breath, they claim that their technology is not being used to harm people in Gaza," Nasr said in a statement. "While also admitting they don't have insight into how their technologies are being used."

Microsoft Workers Protesting Israel Ties Occupy HQ Campus

Microsoft employees have started setting up a protest encampment at the company's Redmond headquarters, ratcheting up a campaign calling for company to stop doing business with Israel over its war in Gaza. Protesters started gathering Tuesday afternoon at a plaza at the center of a recently redeveloped portion of the company's main campus, which extends over about 500 acres in Redmond. They circulated a 3,300-word declaration outlining their aims and invited Microsoft executives to come to the negotiating table. As the activists began chanting in front of a handful of pitched tents, several blue-and-white security vehicles converged on driveways near the plaza as employees took meetings and munched on pizza nearby. Later a police vehicle pulled up to the plaza. Addressing "friends and colleagues" through a microphone, former Microsoft employee and protest leader Hossam Nasr said: "Welcome to the liberated zone." "We are here because over 22 months of genocide, Israel -- powered by Microsoft -- has been killing, maiming Palestinian children every hour," he said. A Microsoft employee group, No Azure for Apartheid, has for more than a year been pushing Microsoft to end its relationship with Israel, saying use of the company's products is contributing to civilian deaths in Gaza. Azure, the company's cloud-computing division, sells on-demand software and data storage to businesses and governments, including Israeli government and military agencies. A handful of No Azure for Apartheid organizers have been fired, for holding what Microsoft said was an unauthorized event on campus and disrupting speeches by executives. "Microsoft is the most complicit digital arms manufacturer in Israel's genocide of Gaza," Nisreen Jaradat, a Microsoft employee, said in a statement on Tuesday. Microsoft didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. In a blog post published in May, the company said it had "found no evidence to date that Microsoft's Azure and AI technologies have been used to target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza." But Microsoft said this month that it had enlisted the law firm Covington & Burling to conduct a further review after a report that Israel's military surveillance agency intercepted millions of mobile phone calls made by Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and stored them on Azure servers. That trove helped inform the selection of bombing targets in Gaza, according to reporting by the Guardian newspaper, Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine, and Local Call, a Hebrew-language news site. The activists took their inspiration from encampment-style protests staged on at least 100 US college campuses since the war in Gaza began. Students at schools like Columbia University pitched tents and called for their colleges to divest financial holdings tied to Israel and US weapons makers, in many cases sparking disciplinary action from administrators. (Updated with protest details, starting in third paragraph.)

Microsoft Reviewing Israeli Military's Use of Its Tech Amid Worker Protests

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) -- Worker-led protests erupted at Microsoft headquarters this week as the tech company promises an "urgent" review of the Israeli military's use of its technology during the ongoing war in Gaza. A second day of protests at the Microsoft campus on Wednesday called for the tech giant to immediately cut its business ties with Israel. Microsoft late last week said it was tapping a law firm to investigate allegations reported by British newspaper The Guardian that the Israeli Defense Forces used Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform to store phone call data obtained through the mass surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. "Microsoft's standard terms of service prohibit this type of usage," the company said in a statement posted Friday, adding that the report raises "precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review." The company said it will share the findings after law firm Covington & Burling completes its review. The promised review was insufficient for the employee-led No Azure for Apartheid group, which for months has protested Microsoft's supplying the Israeli military with technology used for its war against Hamas in Gaza. In February, The Associated Press revealed previously unreported details about the American tech giant's close partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, with military use of commercial AI products skyrocketing by nearly 200 times after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The AP reported that the Israeli military uses Azure to transcribe, translate and process intelligence gathered through mass surveillance, which can then be cross-checked with Israel's in-house AI-enabled targeting systems. Following The AP's report, Microsoft acknowledged the military applications but said a review it commissioned found no evidence that its Azure platform and artificial intelligence technologies were used to target or harm people in Gaza. Microsoft did not share a copy of that review or say who conducted it. Microsoft in May fired an employee who interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella to protest the contracts, and in April, fired two others who interrupted the company's 50th anniversary celebration.

Microsoft Opens 'Urgent' Probe Over Claims Israeli Military Used Its Tech To Monitor Palestinians - Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)

Microsoft Corporation MSFT has launched an "urgent" external investigation into allegations that its technology was used by Israel's military surveillance agency to facilitate mass surveillance of Palestinians. Microsoft Launches Second Review Over Unit 8200 Data Use On Friday, the company disclosed it had launched a formal review after finding that Unit 8200, Israel's intelligence agency, had stored vast amounts of ordinary Palestinian mobile phone data on Microsoft's Azure cloud, as reported by The Guardian. "Using Azure for the storage of data files of phone calls obtained through broad or mass surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank" would be prohibited, stated Microsoft. The investigation, led by U.S. law firm Covington & Burling, marks Microsoft's second independent review into how its technology is being used by the Israeli military. The first review was initiated earlier this year following employee pushback and reports of Israel's heavy dependence on Microsoft tools during its Gaza offensive. Microsoft said the new inquiry would build on the earlier one, adding that The Guardian's recent report had raised, "additional and precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review." The Satya Nadella-led company is under fire from a worker-led campaign, No Azure for Apartheid, which has accused the company of "complicity in genocide and apartheid" and called on it to cut "all ties to the Israeli military." SEE ALSO: Bitcoin, Ethereum ETFs Diverge As ETH Takes The Lead BlackRock's IBIT Shines - Benzinga Employee Protests Tech Giant As 'War Profiteer', Fired The new inquiry was launched after senior Microsoft executives raised concerns that some of its Israel-based employees might have hidden details about how Unit 8200 uses Azure. This urgent investigation comes on the heels of a series of internal protests at Microsoft. In April, a disruption at the company's 50th-anniversary event saw an employee accuse the tech giant of being a "war profiteer". The employee was later fired for the protest. In May, Microsoft faced further internal protests over its contracts with the Israeli government, with employees alleging that emails containing the terms "Palestine," "Gaza" or "Genocide" were being blocked. These incidents underline the growing internal dissent within Microsoft over its relationship with the Israeli military and the alleged misuse of its technology. READ MORE: With Meta And Microsoft Boosting Capex, Oracle's (ORCL) Rally Points To Major AI Tailwinds Image via Shutterstock Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. MSFTMicrosoft Corp$521.320.22%Stock Score Locked: Edge Members Only Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Unlock RankingsEdge RankingsMomentum82.01Growth97.45Quality68.50Value14.23Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewMarket News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Microsoft reviewing Israeli military's use of its tech amid worker protests

REDMOND, Wash. -- Worker-led protests erupted at Microsoft headquarters this week as the tech company promises an "urgent" review of the Israeli military's use of its technology during the ongoing war in Gaza. A second day of protests at the Microsoft campus on Wednesday called for the tech giant to immediately cut its business ties with Israel. Microsoft late last week said it was tapping a law firm to investigate allegations reported by British newspaper The Guardian that the Israeli Defense Forces used Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform to store phone call data obtained through the mass surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. "Microsoft's standard terms of service prohibit this type of usage," the company said in a statement posted Friday, adding that the report raises "precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review." The company said it will share the findings after law firm Covington & Burling completes its review. The promised review was insufficient for the employee-led No Azure for Apartheid group, which for months has protested Microsoft's supplying the Israeli military with technology used for its war against Hamas in Gaza. In February, The Associated Press revealed previously unreported details about the American tech giant's close partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, with military use of commercial AI products skyrocketing by nearly 200 times after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The AP reported that the Israeli military uses Azure to transcribe, translate and process intelligence gathered through mass surveillance, which can then be cross-checked with Israel's in-house AI-enabled targeting systems. Following The AP's report, Microsoft acknowledged the military applications but said a review it commissioned found no evidence that its Azure platform and artificial intelligence technologies were used to target or harm people in Gaza. Microsoft did not share a copy of that review or say who conducted it. Microsoft in May fired an employee who interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella to protest the contracts, and in April, fired two others who interrupted the company's 50th anniversary celebration.

Microsoft employee protests lead to 18 arrests as company reviews its work with Israel's military

REDMOND, Wash. -- Police officers arrested 18 people at worker-led protests at Microsoft headquarters Wednesday as the tech company promises an "urgent" review of the Israeli military's use of its technology during the ongoing war in Gaza. Two consecutive days of protest at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington called for the tech giant to immediately cut its business ties with Israel. But unlike Tuesday, when about 35 protesters occupying a plaza between office buildings left after Microsoft asked them to leave, the protesters on Wednesday "resisted and became aggressive" after the company told police they were trespassing, according to the Redmond Police Department. The protesters also splattered red paint resembling the color of blood over a landmark sign that bears the company logo and spells Microsoft in big gray letters. "We said, 'Please leave or you will be arrested,' and they chose not to leave so they were detained," said police spokesperson Jill Green. Microsoft late last week said it was tapping a law firm to investigate allegations reported by British newspaper The Guardian that the Israeli Defense Forces used Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform to store phone call data obtained through the mass surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. "Microsoft's standard terms of service prohibit this type of usage," the company said in a statement posted Friday, adding that the report raises "precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review." In February, The Associated Press revealed previously unreported details about the tech giant's close partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, with military use of commercial artificial intelligence products skyrocketing by nearly 200 times after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The AP reported that the Israeli military uses Azure to transcribe, translate and process intelligence gathered through mass surveillance, which can then be cross-checked with Israel's in-house AI-enabled targeting systems. Following The AP's report, Microsoft acknowledged the military applications but said a review it commissioned found no evidence that its Azure platform and artificial intelligence technologies were used to target or harm people in Gaza. Microsoft did not share a copy of that review or say who conducted it. Microsoft said it will share the latest review's findings after it's completed by law firm Covington & Burling. The promise of a second review was insufficient for the employee-led No Azure for Apartheid group, which for months has protested Microsoft's supplying the Israeli military with technology used for its war against Hamas in Gaza. The group said Wednesday the technology is "being used to surveil, starve and kill Palestinians." Microsoft in May fired an employee who interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella to protest the contracts, and in April, fired two others who interrupted the company's 50th anniversary celebration. On Tuesday, the protesters posted online a call for what they called a "worker intifada," using language evoking the Palestinian uprisings against Israeli military occupation that began in 1987. On Wednesday, the police department said it took 18 people into custody "for multiple charges, including trespassing, malicious mischief, resisting arrest, and obstruction." It wasn't clear how many were Microsoft employees. No injuries were reported. Microsoft said in a statement after the arrests that it "will continue to do the hard work needed to uphold its human rights standards in the Middle East, while supporting and taking clear steps to address unlawful actions that damage property, disrupt business or that threaten and harm others."

Microsoft employee protests lead to arrests as company reviews its work with Israel's military

The police department began making arrests after Microsoft said the protesters were trespassing. "We said, 'Please leave or you will be arrested,' and they chose not to leave so they were detained," said police spokesperson . late last week said it was tapping a law firm to investigate allegations reported by British newspaper The Guardian that the Israeli Defense Forces used 's Azure cloud computing platform to store phone call data obtained through the mass surveillance of Palestinians in and the . "Microsoft's standard terms of service prohibit this type of usage," the company said in a statement posted Friday, adding that the report raises "precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review." The company said it will share the findings after law firm completes its review. The promised review was insufficient for the employee-led No Azure for Apartheid group, which for months has protested 's supplying the Israeli military with technology used for its war against in . In February, revealed previously unreported details about the American tech giant's close partnership with the , with military use of commercial AI products skyrocketing by nearly 200 times after the deadly , attack. The AP reported that the Israeli military uses Azure to transcribe, translate and process intelligence gathered through mass surveillance, which can then be cross-checked with Israel's in-house AI-enabled targeting systems. Following The AP's report, acknowledged the military applications but said a review it commissioned found no evidence that its Azure platform and artificial intelligence technologies were used to target or harm people in . did not share a copy of that review or say who conducted it. in May fired an employee who interrupted a speech by CEO to protest the contracts, and in April, fired two others who interrupted the company's 50th anniversary celebration. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. , source