Microsoft Cuts Off Israeli Ministry of Defense’s Access Over Alleged Use of Tech for Mass Surveillance of Palestinians

Tech conglomerate Microsoft has suspended certain services and technology access for the Israeli Ministry of Defense following an internal investigation that revealed potential misuse of Microsoft’s tech for storing surveillance data obtained from phone calls made by Palestinians.

In a blog post published on Thursday, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith announced the decision to terminate specific subscriptions linked to the Israeli military. This action pertains to Azure cloud storage subscriptions and certain AI services.

Smith stated that Microsoft’s policy is to refrain from enabling mass surveillance of civilians and emphasized this stance in all countries worldwide, asserting it since two decades ago. He further explained that this decision was inspired by Microsoft’s standard terms of service which forbid the use of their technology for such activities.

According to The Guardian, Microsoft communicated its decision last week.

The move comes after a review initiated in August, following a report published in The Guardian indicating that Unit 8200 – an elite Israeli military intelligence unit – stored phone call data from Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank using Azure cloud storage.

In his blog post, Smith acknowledged The Guardian’s role in bringing the issue to light, noting that without their initial reporting, Microsoft would have remained unaware of the matter due to customer privacy rights preventing access to a customer’s content.

The ongoing review by Microsoft did not disclose further details about what aspects are still under examination when approached by media outlets.

Recent months have seen Microsoft face criticism from both employees and external sources regarding its engagement with Israel. In April, protests against Microsoft’s ties to Israel erupted during the company’s 50th anniversary celebration. In August, a sit-in at Smith’s office took place, leading to a lockdown due to employee activism related to Microsoft’s contracts with Israel. The company has let go of several employees in recent months due to their activism regarding these contracts.