Microsoft Cuts Israeli Military Access to Some Cloud Services After Surveillance Probe
Microsoft announced on Thursday that it has disabled certain services used by an Israeli military unit after preliminary findings confirmed parts of a media investigation into mass surveillance of Palestinian phone calls.
A joint investigation published in August by the Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call alleged that Israel’s military agency had been using Microsoft’s Azure platform to store large volumes of mobile phone call recordings from Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Microsoft Confirms Evidence, Acts on Services
Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a company blog that the internal review supported key aspects of the reporting, including the Israel Ministry of Defense’s use of Azure cloud storage in the Netherlands and related AI tools.
“We do not provide technology to facilitate mass surveillance of civilians,” Smith said. He confirmed Microsoft had “ceased and disabled” specific subscriptions tied to the Israeli Ministry of Defense. These included cloud storage and AI services but did not affect cybersecurity services Microsoft provides to Israel and other Middle Eastern nations.
Israeli Response and Public Reaction
Israel’s Ministry of Defense declined to comment on Microsoft’s move. In earlier statements, the military said its contracts with firms such as Microsoft were based on “legally supervised agreements” and denied the company had stored or processed surveillance data on its behalf.
Pro-Palestinian groups, including the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and a worker-led movement called No Azure for Apartheid, welcomed Microsoft’s step. CAIR’s Washington state director Imraan Siddiqi called it “a point of vindication for those brave tech workers who stood up and protested.” Activists continue to demand a full severing of Microsoft’s ties with the Israeli government.
Rising Protests Over Tech Firms’ Ties to Israel
Microsoft has faced growing criticism over its work with Israel amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Rights groups and a U.N. inquiry have described Israel’s two-year military campaign, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced Gaza’s population, as genocide. Israel rejects the charge, calling its actions self-defence following the October 2023 Hamas-led attack that killed 1,200 people and saw more than 250 hostages taken.
Microsoft employees have staged protests against the company’s contracts with Israel. Some workers were fired after sit-ins, including two who demonstrated outside Smith’s office. The company said those terminations followed policy breaches and were necessary due to “significant safety concerns.”
with inputs from Reuters