Microsoft has terminated part of its services to the Israeli Ministry of Defense. It concluded that the Israeli military was using its services for mass surveillance.
Following an internal investigation, Microsoft has terminated part of its services to Israel’s Ministry of Defense. This investigation came after an article by The Guardian, published on August 6. In it, the newspaper reported that Israel, specifically Unit 8200, was using Azure for mass surveillance of Palestinians.
From Azure to Airstrikes
Unit 8200 is the clandestine intelligence service of the Israeli military. The unit is frequently associated with violations of human rights and laws of war. Since 2022, Unit 8200 has reportedly stored massive amounts of telecommunications data, including phone calls of Palestinians, on Azure servers. Cloud storage proved to be the only option to store the immense volume of phone calls from an entire population.
The data collected on Azure was subsequently used by Unit 8200 to select targets. According to The Guardian, the data on Azure played a role in at least some of the (air) strikes on Gaza, where the death toll has now exceeded 64,000 people.
Data Center in the Netherlands
Microsoft initiated an investigation on August 15 following the article. Redmond has since concluded that what The Guardian reported is at least partially correct. Microsoft bases this conclusion on the Azure storage consumption by the Israeli Ministry of Defense in the data center in the Netherlands, as well as the consumption of AI services.
Microsoft emphasizes that it prioritizes customer privacy and has not looked at the data in question at any point. The conclusion is based on business information such as contracts, internal documents, emails, and other materials.
Against Policy
Mass surveillance violates Microsoft’s customer usage policies. In response, Microsoft has terminated certain subscriptions and services. Microsoft does not specify which Azure services are involved. The investigation is not concluded with this step, Microsoft reports.
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From 2022 until now, Microsoft has received subscription fees from Israel and Unit 8200 for the massive storage of surveillance data, which served as a source for lethal attacks. Despite employee protests, an investigation only began after The Guardian’s article. Microsoft notes that The Guardian obtained information for its reporting that was not accessible to Microsoft itself.
‘Guided by Principles and Ethics’
Microsoft itself says it “remains a company guided by principles and ethics.” However, Microsoft is still involved in other areas supporting both the Israeli military and the prison system, police, and civil authorities in the occupied territories.
The company has no intention of stopping its broader cooperation with Israel or the Ministry of Defense. Despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant, both the UN and scholars labeling Israel’s actions as genocide, and a famine in Gaza as a direct result of Israel’s actions, Microsoft emphasizes that cooperation continues. Microsoft refers to “the important work regarding cybersecurity of Israel and other countries in the Middle East.”
The company is not alone. Nearly all American tech giants support the Israeli regime, colonization, and the genocide in Gaza in one way or another. Google recently stopped (again after media attention) a part of Israel’s propaganda campaign, for which it would have received about 40 million euros.