Microsoft blocks Israel's use of its tech. in mass surveillance of Palestinians
5 hours ago
- #Microsoft
- #Israel-Palestine
- #surveillance
- Microsoft terminated the Israeli military's access to its Azure cloud platform for violating terms of service by storing surveillance data on Palestinian civilians.
- The decision followed a Guardian investigation revealing Azure's use in a mass surveillance program intercepting millions of Palestinian calls.
- Unit 8200, Israel's elite spy agency, stored up to 8,000 terabytes of intercepted call data in a Microsoft datacenter in the Netherlands.
- Microsoft's external inquiry led to the suspension of Unit 8200's access to cloud storage and AI services, citing opposition to mass surveillance.
- The surveillance system, initially focused on the West Bank, was also used in Gaza to prepare airstrikes during the ongoing conflict.
- Microsoft's decision marks the first known case of a US tech company withdrawing services from the Israeli military amid the Gaza war.
- The company maintains its broader commercial relationship with the IDF but has suspended specific services tied to the surveillance project.
- Internal reviews at Microsoft revealed concerns about transparency among Israel-based employees regarding Unit 8200's use of Azure.
- Microsoft executives, including CEO Satya Nadella, claimed unawareness of Azure's role in storing intercepted Palestinian communications.