Microsoft disables set of services to a unit within Israel Ministry of Defense

Microsoft (MSFT) president and vice chair Brad Smith said in a statement, “I want to let you know that Microsoft has ceased and disabled a set of services to a unit within the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD)… As we publicly announced on August 15, we decided to undertake a review of allegations that appeared in an article published on August 6 by The Guardian about a unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). As we explained at that time, The Guardian article reported that “multiple individuals have asserted that the IDF is using Azure for the storage of data files of phone calls obtained through broad or mass surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.” We have reviewed The Guardian’s allegations based on two principles, both grounded in Microsoft’s longstanding protection of privacy as a fundamental right. As employees, we all have a shared interest in privacy protection, given the business value it creates by ensuring our customers can rely on our services with rock solid trust. First, we do not provide technology to facilitate mass surveillance of civilians. We have applied this principle in every country around the world, and we have insisted on it repeatedly for more than two decades. This is why we explained publicly on August 15 that Microsoft’s standard terms of service prohibit the use of our technology for mass surveillance of civilians. Second, we respect and protect the privacy rights of our customers. This means, among other things, that we do not access our customers’ content in this type of investigation. Since August 15, we have pursued this review by respecting both these principles, as well as the company’s policies, contracts, and customer commitments. At no point has Microsoft accessed IMOD’s customer content. Rather, the review has focused on Microsoft’s own business records, including financial statements, internal documents, and email and messaging communications, among other records. While our review is ongoing, we have found evidence that supports elements of The Guardian’s reporting. This evidence includes information relating to IMOD consumption of Azure storage capacity in the Netherlands and the use of AI services. We therefore have informed IMOD of Microsoft’s decision to cease and disable specified IMOD subscriptions and their services, including their use of specific cloud storage and AI services and technologies. We have reviewed this decision with IMOD and the steps we are taking to ensure compliance with our terms of service, focused on ensuring our services are not used for mass surveillance of civilians. As I said at our recent employee townhall, this does not impact the important work that Microsoft continues to do to protect the cybersecurity of Israel and other countries in the Middle East, including under the Abraham Accords.” The Fly notes the move comes after a number of employee demonstrations over the IDF contract, as well as calls to boycott Microsoft’s products, particularly its video games and services.