Microsoft announced Thursday that it has disabled certain services used by an Israeli military unit after an internal review supported reports of large-scale surveillance of Palestinians.
The move follows an investigation by The Guardian and partners, which revealed that an Israeli military agency used Microsoft’s Azure cloud to store vast recordings of phone calls from Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Microsoft confirmed evidence of the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s use of Azure storage and AI tools aligned with the findings, prompting the company to suspend specific subscriptions.
Microsoft President Brad Smith emphasized that the company does not supply technology for mass civilian surveillance. The suspension, however, does not affect cybersecurity services provided to Israel or other regional states.
Israel’s defense ministry declined to comment, while its military previously insisted partnerships with firms like Microsoft were legally supervised. Pro-Palestinian groups, including CAIR and No Azure for Apartheid, welcomed the decision, calling it a victory for tech workers who had protested ties with Israel.
The announcement comes as Israel’s assault on Gaza, condemned by rights groups as genocidal, has drawn global outrage.
This is a big change in Microsoft’s approach. In past, Microsoft Fires Engineers Over Protests Against Company’s Contracts with Israeli Military
