Microsoft Blocks Services Used By Israeli Military After Reports Of Use For Mass Surveillance
Microsoft has disabled certain services used by a unit of Israel's Ministry of Defence after finding that its Azure cloud and AI tools were used for mass surveillance on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. President Brad Smith confirmed the move, saying the use of Microsoft’s technology for spying on civilians violated the company’s long-standing terms of service. The decision follows a joint investigation that revealed millions of intercepted phone calls were stored and analysed using Microsoft’s infrastructure.
The surveillance was linked to Unit 8200, Israel’s elite cyber intelligence division, which reportedly used Microsoft’s vast storage and computing power to guide military operations. Although Microsoft hasn’t named the unit directly, Smith confirmed that specific cloud storage and AI services were “ceased and disabled.” The company stressed that this would not affect its broader cybersecurity work in Israel, but admitted that an ongoing external legal review found evidence backing the media reports.
While pro-Palestinian groups and some former employees called the move a "win," critics noted it’s limited in scope. "Microsoft has only disabled a small subset of services to only one unit," said Hossam Nasr, a former employee fired over protests against the company’s involvement in the war. The Israeli Ministry of Defence has not responded publicly, but earlier claimed Microsoft was not involved in any such surveillance activities—a statement the internal review appears to contradict.
