In a historic move, Microsoft has blocked Israel’s elite Unit 8200 from using its Azure cloud and AI services after revelations that the tech was powering a massive surveillance system intercepting “a million calls an hour” from Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.The Guardian’s joint investigation with +972 Magazine and Local Call exposed how millions of Palestinian civilians’ phone calls were collected, stored in a Microsoft datacentre in the Netherlands, and used in the Gaza offensive to identify bombing targets.Facing mounting pressure from employees, investors, and activists under the “No Azure for Apartheid” campaign, Microsoft terminated the military unit’s access, saying:
“We do not provide technology to facilitate mass surveillance of civilians.”
This marks the first time a US tech giant has withdrawn services from the Israeli military since the Gaza war began — a war that has already killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, while creating a humanitarian and starvation crisis.
Microsoft’s decision raises questions about the reliance of Israel’s defense operations on foreign cloud platforms — and whether other tech giants like Amazon and Google will face similar scrutiny.
Source https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/25/microsoft-blocks-israels-use-of-its-technology-in-mass-surveillance-of-palestinians
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