Microsoft disables Israel defence ministry services after evidence of Gaza surveillance
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The news: Microsoft has disabled a set of cloud and AI services used by Israel’s Ministry of Defense after an internal review found preliminary evidence supporting media reports of a surveillance system in Gaza and the West Bank.
The context: The Guardian, Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and Hebrew-language outlet Local Call, reported in August that Israel’s military intercepted millions of Palestinian mobile phone calls, stored them on Microsoft Azure servers and used the data to select bombing targets in Gaza.
In a statement published on the company’s website, Microsoft President Brad Smith said the company’s rules bar customers from using its products for mass surveillance of civilians. He confirmed the company found evidence of Israel’s use of Azure storage capacity in the Netherlands and AI services.
“While our review is ongoing, we have found evidence that supports elements of The Guardian’s reporting,” Smith wrote. “This evidence includes information relating to IMOD consumption of Azure storage capacity in the Netherlands and the use of AI services.”
The company informed the ministry it would cease and disable specified subscriptions and services, while continuing cybersecurity support for Israel and other countries in the Middle East, the statement says.
Israel’s Ministry of Defense has not commented.
Microsoft’s decision comes after employees and outside activists have been protesting the company’s work with Israel’s military for nearly a year.
In August, several protesters occupied Smith’s office and were arrested. Microsoft also fired multiple employees who took part in demonstrations at company premises, including those who entered Smith’s office to protest its cloud-computing contract with the Israeli government.
