Microsoft blocks Israel's use of its data centers for mass surveillance of Palestinians

Microsoft has blocked a unit of the Israeli military from accessing its data centers, which were being used to power a massive surveillance operation against Palestinian civilians. The company says the spy agency violated its terms of service by collecting millions of phone calls from Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank on a daily basis. Microsoft's leadership, including the vice-chair and president, informed staff that the company had "ceased and disabled a set of services" to the Israeli unit, including cutting off access to cloud storage and AI services. The company stated that it does not provide technology to facilitate mass surveillance of civilians and has applied this principle globally for over two decades. The decision came after an external inquiry into the spy agency's use of Microsoft's Azure cloud platform. It also follows pressure from employees and investors for the company to examine its relationship with Israel regarding the military offensive in Gaza. The surveillance system was reportedly set up in 2021 with the personal approval of Microsoft's CEO, allowing Israel to store the phone call data in Azure facilities in the Netherlands.