Microsoft disabled specific services that Israel’s Ministry of Defense used after an internal review found the ministry was deploying the technology to surveil Palestinians. The move comes after a Guardian investigation revealed the Israeli military had stored millions of phone calls from Gaza and the West Bank on Microsoft’s Azure servers in Europe.
How the review began
Microsoft launched its review on Aug. 15, less than two weeks after the Guardian published its report.
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The report said that the Israeli military had undertaken “an ambitious project to store a giant trove of Palestinians’ phone calls on Microsoft’s servers in Europe.”
What Microsoft found
Vice Chair and President Brad Smith wrote in a blog that the company’s investigation included financial statements, internal documents, as well as emails and messages.
Microsoft confirmed evidence that Israel’s Ministry of Defense was using Azure storage in the Netherlands along with the company’s AI services.
Action taken
Smith said Microsoft has now informed Israel of its decision to terminate and disable “specified IMOD subscriptions and their services, including their use of specific cloud storage and AI services and technologies.”
He emphasized a company policy that states its technology cannot be used for “mass surveillance of civilians.” It’s a standard, he said, that applies globally.
Reaction
An Israeli official told CNN the decision has not impaired the operational capabilities of the Israel Defense Forces.
Microsoft, meanwhile, says it will continue providing Israel with cybersecurity services, as well as to other governments in the region.
