"Microsoft has cut off the Israel Ministry of Defense's access to some of its tech and services after an internal investigation found the organization appeared to be using its tech to store surveillance data on phone calls made by Palestinians. The tech giant announced on Thursday that it made the decision to "cease and disable" certain subscriptions from the Israeli military. This affects subscriptions to Azure cloud storage and certain AI services."
""We do not provide technology to facilitate mass surveillance of civilians, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith wrote in a blog post. "We have applied this principle in every country around the world, and we have insisted on it repeatedly for more than two decades. This is why we explained publicly on August 15 that Microsoft's standard terms of service prohibit the use of our technology for mass surveillance of civilians.""
"In his blog post, Smith also said the company appreciated The Guardian's initial reporting. Smith wrote that without it, they wouldn't have known to look into the matter, as due to customer privacy rights, they can't access a customer's content. "As employees, we all have a shared interest in privacy protection, given the business value it creates by ensuring our customers can rely on our services with rock solid trust," Smith wrote."
Microsoft disabled access to certain technology and services for the Israel Ministry of Defense after an internal investigation found apparent use of Microsoft tech to store surveillance data from phone calls made by Palestinians. The action specifically affected Azure cloud storage subscriptions and some AI services and followed a review that began in August. The review was prompted by reporting that Unit 8200 used Azure to house call data from surveillance in Gaza and the West Bank. Microsoft cited a firm policy against enabling mass surveillance of civilians, emphasized customer privacy constraints, and said the review remains ongoing.
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