Microsoft investigates Israel’s use of its technology for mass surveillance of Palestinians

Microsoft has initiated an urgent external inquiry into allegations that Israel’s military surveillance agency, Unit 8200, used its Azure cloud platform to store intercepted mobile phone calls from Palestinians. This follows a joint investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call, which uncovered how Unit 8200 used a segregated section of Azure to hold millions of daily calls made in Gaza and the West Bank. The inquiry aims to determine whether Microsoft’s cloud service was used in violation of its terms, specifically against the use of mass surveillance on civilians. The company is particularly concerned about the possibility that some of its employees may have withheld crucial information during a previous review. This new investigation also comes amid rising pressure from groups like No Azure for Apartheid, which accuses Microsoft of complicity in human rights violations related to Israel’s actions. The company stated that it would share the review’s findings with the public. The situation is further complicated by the broader geopolitical context of Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza, where intelligence reportedly gathered via Azure has been used to identify bombing targets.