Microsoft draws consequences: Technological restrictions for Israel's Ministry of Defense

The technology company Microsoft has restricted the provision of certain technologies and services to the Israeli Ministry of Defense following an internal investigation. The decision came after revelations that the organization may have used Microsoft's technologies to store surveillance data on Palestinian calls. Brad Smith, Vice President and President of Microsoft, stated in a blog post that the blocking of subscriptions for Azure cloud services and certain AI services was the result of the findings of this investigation. "We do not enable mass surveillance of civilians," emphasized Smith, noting that this principle has been valid for Microsoft worldwide for over two decades. The trigger for the investigation was a report by the British newspaper The Guardian, published in August. It disclosed that the Israeli military unit Unit 8200 used Azure storage to collect data on calls in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank. Microsoft thanked The Guardian in its blog for the initial research, as the company would not have been aware of the situation without this report. Microsoft's decision attracted considerable attention, especially against the backdrop of past criticism of the company's relationship with Israel. In the spring, Microsoft's 50th-anniversary celebration was brought into focus by protests regarding the company's relationship with Israel. Later, employee actions, including a sit-in at Brad Smith's office, led to short-term controversies at Microsoft. Microsoft is under growing pressure from employees and the public, leading to serious internal investigations. In recent months, several employees who spoke out against the company’s contracts with Israel have been dismissed. The investigations are not yet complete, but Microsoft has not provided any further comments to external media.