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Microsoft is blocking Israel’s Ministry of Defense from accessing some company services over their reported use to monitor Palestinian phone calls in Gaza and the West Bank.
Microsoft has “ceased and disabled a set of services to a unit within the Israel Ministry of Defense,” the company’s President Brad Smith announced on Thursday, a month after it kicked off a formal review about the surveillance concerns.
The software giant is the pulling plug after The Guardian reported that Israel’s military surveillance agency, Unit 8200, has been using Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform and its vast storage capacity to support a powerful surveillance tool. The resulting system can collect and store millions of mobile phone calls made each day from local Palestinians.
“According to three Unit 8200 sources, the cloud-based storage platform has facilitated the preparation of deadly airstrikes and has shaped military operations in Gaza and the West Bank,” The Guardian added.
(Photo Illustration by Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)Smith’s announcement didn’t go into specifics about the surveillance use. Nevertheless, he says: “While our review is ongoing, we have found evidence that supports elements of The Guardian’s reporting. This evidence includes information relating to IMOD consumption of Azure storage capacity in the Netherlands and the use of AI services.”
“We therefore have informed IMOD of Microsoft’s decision to cease and disable specified IMOD subscriptions and their services, including their use of specific cloud storage and AI services and technologies,” he added.
It appears Microsoft can deny the services, despite the company’s contractual obligations to the Israeli government because Smith notes: “Microsoft’s standard terms of service prohibit the use of our technology for mass surveillance of civilians.”
The company says the investigation was conducted without accessing the Israel government’s content stored over the Azure services. “Rather, the review has focused on Microsoft’s own business records, including financial statements, internal documents, and email and messaging communications, among other records,” Smith said.
So far, Israel’s Ministry of Defense hasn’t commented on the news. But Microsoft says “we have reviewed this decision with IMOD.” The company’s investigation into how Israeli Defense Forces have been using company services also remains ongoing. “I’ll share more information in the coming days and weeks, when it’s appropriate to do so, including lessons learned from this review and how we will apply those lessons as we go forward,” Smith added.
Microsoft made the announcement when the company has been facing protests over its reported ties to the Israeli military. This included a few employees breaking into executive offices and holding a sit-in. Microsoft responded by calling police to arrest the protestors and firing the employees.