Microsoft has restricted the Israel Ministry of Defense from using some of its technology after an internal investigation revealed the ministry was using the company’s services to store surveillance data on Palestinian phone calls.
The move affects Azure cloud storage and certain AI tools.
“We do not provide technology to facilitate mass surveillance of civilians,” Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith wrote in a blog post. “This is a principle we’ve applied globally for more than two decades,” Smith added that Microsoft’s terms of service clearly prohibit using its platforms for mass surveillance, and the company acted once evidence was brought forward.
The investigation began in August following a report by The Guardian that Unit 8200, Israel’s elite military intelligence division, was storing surveillance data on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank using Azure cloud systems. Smith acknowledged that without the report, Microsoft would not have been aware of the situation, since customer privacy rules prevent the company from directly monitoring client data.
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