Microsoft has announced that it has cut off access to certain Israeli Defense Ministry technologies following an internal investigation. The company’s probe revealed that the ministry had been using Microsoft services to store monitoring data on Palestinians’ phone calls.
In a statement on Thursday, the tech giant said that some of the Israeli military’s Azure cloud storage and AI service subscriptions had been “completely suspended and blocked.”
Microsoft President Brad Smith emphasized the company’s principled stance: “We do not offer technology that enables mass surveillance of civilians. We have adhered to this principle consistently around the world for more than twenty years.” Smith noted that Microsoft’s standard contract terms explicitly prohibit using their technology for mass surveillance of civilians.
Smith explained that the investigation began after a report published in The Guardian, which alleged that Israel’s elite intelligence unit, Unit 8200, used Microsoft’s Azure cloud infrastructure to store data on Palestinians’ phone calls in Gaza and the West Bank.
He also stated that, due to customer privacy, Microsoft had no direct access to this content and thanked The Guardian for bringing these allegations to light.
Over the past year, Microsoft faced significant criticism from both employees and the public for its collaboration with Israel. Some employees who opposed this partnership were even dismissed.
This latest decision demonstrates the company’s commitment to its ethical principles and serves as a response to long-standing internal protests.
