Microsoft is launching an “urgent” investigation into claims that Israel is using its cloud technology to run a massive surveillance operation in Gaza. The move comes after a damning report from The Guardian and years of pressure from its employees and protesters.
The Guardian’s report claims that Unit 8200, Israel’s powerful intelligence agency, was given a special, “segregated” area within Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. This secret setup was allegedly used to build a system to collect and store recordings of millions of phone calls made by Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank.
The allegations have put Microsoft in a difficult position. For two years, the company has faced protests and accusations that it is aiding the Israeli war effort. Even the company’s 50th-anniversary celebration was disrupted by an employee who called the head of AI a “war profiteer.”
In response to the latest report, Microsoft said the “precise allegations… merit a full and urgent review.” The company also stated that if Israel is indeed using its cloud for mass surveillance of civilians, it would be a direct violation of its terms of service.
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has looked into this. After employee protests earlier this year, the company conducted a review and claimed to have found “no evidence” that its technology was being used to harm people in Gaza. An outside law firm will oversee this new, more urgent probe, showing the mounting pressure on Microsoft to address its role in the conflict.
