Following revelations of widespread monitoring of Palestinian phone calls by an Israeli military unit, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) has taken action to disable certain services.
Israeli Military Access Limited Amid Mass Surveillance Investigation
Microsoft said on Thursday that it has suspended specific services used by an Israeli military unit, following a media investigation that uncovered the unit’s reported mass surveillance of Palestinian phone calls, reported Reuters.
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The decision to “cease and disable” certain IMOD subscriptions, such as those involving specific cloud storage and AI services, will not affect Microsoft’s cybersecurity offerings to Israel or other Middle Eastern countries.
Pro-Palestinian organizations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the tech worker-led campaign No Azure for Apartheid, have praised Microsoft’s decision. “This is a welcome step and a point of vindication for those brave tech workers who stood up and protested,” stated Imraan Siddiqi, the executive director of CAIR’s Washington state chapter.
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Controversy Surrounding Tech Usage In Gaza War
This move by Microsoft is a significant development in the ongoing controversy surrounding the alleged misuse of its technology by the Israeli military.
The company had previously launched an “urgent” external investigation into these allegations, following reports that Israel’s intelligence agency had stored vast amounts of ordinary Palestinian mobile phone data on Microsoft’s Azure cloud.
This led to further scrutiny and protests, with Microsoft calling in the FBI to track potential disruptions during a protest at its Redmond, Washington campus. The latest action by Microsoft to disable services for the Israeli military unit is a significant response to the ongoing controversy.