Microsoft Probes Israel's Alleged Azure Use for Palestinian Surveillance
Microsoft has launched an urgent internal investigation into whether its Azure cloud computing services have been used by Israel to construct an extensive surveillance system targeting Palestinians. This new probe comes amidst two years of persistent accusations, both from within the company and from external activist groups, that Microsoft’s technology contributes to the Israeli war effort.
The technology giant has faced significant backlash, with its own employees vocally protesting contracts with Israel. Public demonstrations have frequently disrupted company talks and conferences, even marring Microsoft’s 50th-anniversary celebration where an employee reportedly shouted “Shame on you,” labeling the company’s head of AI a “war profiteer” for “using AI for genocide.”
The catalyst for Microsoft’s latest inquiry is a recent report by The Guardian, which alleges that Unit 8200, Israel’s clandestine intelligence agency, has been leveraging Microsoft’s Azure cloud servers. According to the report, a deal struck with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella granted the spy unit access to a “customised and segregated area within Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform.” This isolated cloud environment was purportedly utilized to develop a “sweeping and intrusive system” designed to collect and store “recordings of millions of mobile phone calls made each day by Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.”
Responding to The Guardian, Microsoft stated that the report’s “additional and precise allegations… merit a full and urgent review.” The company has appointed attorneys from the law firm Covington & Burling to oversee this investigation. Microsoft clarified that if Israel were indeed “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,” such actions would constitute a direct violation of its terms of service. This marks the second time Microsoft has launched a legal inquiry into its dealings with the Israeli government; an earlier probe, initiated this year following employee protests, concluded in May with a report claiming “no evidence to date that Microsoft’s Azure and AI technologies have been used to target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza.”
The scrutiny extends beyond Microsoft. Other major technology firms, notably Amazon and Google, have also faced accusations of complicity in Israel’s military operations. A report released in July by a United Nations group asserted that Microsoft, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), and Amazon provide Israel with virtually government-wide access to their advanced cloud and artificial intelligence technologies. This access, the report contended, significantly enhances Israel’s data processing, decision-making, and surveillance and analysis capabilities.