Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has launched an “urgent” external investigation into allegations that its technology was used by Israel’s military surveillance agency to facilitate mass surveillance of Palestinians.
Microsoft Launches Second Review Over Unit 8200 Data Use
On Friday, the company disclosed it had launched a formal review after finding that Unit 8200, Israel's intelligence agency, had stored vast amounts of ordinary Palestinian mobile phone data on Microsoft's Azure cloud, as reported by The Guardian.
"Using Azure for the storage of data files of phone calls obtained through broad or mass surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank" would be prohibited, stated Microsoft.
The investigation, led by U.S. law firm Covington & Burling, marks Microsoft's second independent review into how its technology is being used by the Israeli military. The first review was initiated earlier this year following employee pushback and reports of Israel's heavy dependence on Microsoft tools during its Gaza offensive.
Microsoft said the new inquiry would build on the earlier one, adding that The Guardian's recent report had raised, “additional and precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review.”
The Satya Nadella-led company is under fire from a worker-led campaign, No Azure for Apartheid, which has accused the company of "complicity in genocide and apartheid" and called on it to cut "all ties to the Israeli military."
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Employee Protests Tech Giant As ‘War Profiteer’, Fired
The new inquiry was launched after senior Microsoft executives raised concerns that some of its Israel-based employees might have hidden details about how Unit 8200 uses Azure.
This urgent investigation comes on the heels of a series of internal protests at Microsoft. In April, a disruption at the company’s 50th-anniversary event saw an employee accuse the tech giant of being a “war profiteer”. The employee was later fired for the protest.
In May, Microsoft faced further internal protests over its contracts with the Israeli government, with employees alleging that emails containing the terms “Palestine,” “Gaza” or “Genocide” were being blocked.
These incidents underline the growing internal dissent within Microsoft over its relationship with the Israeli military and the alleged misuse of its technology.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
