Microsoft Severs Cloud Access Over Surveillance Concerns

Violation of Terms of Service

Microsoft has disabled specific cloud and AI services used by a unit within the Israeli Ministry of Defense, citing violations of its long-standing policy against mass surveillance of civilians.

• The move follows a joint investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call, which revealed that Unit 8200, Israel’s elite cyber warfare division, used Microsoft’s Azure platform to store and analyze millions of intercepted Palestinian phone calls.
• The surveillance reportedly supported airstrike targeting and military operations in Gaza and the West Bank.

AI and Cloud Under Scrutiny

• Microsoft’s internal review, prompted by the August exposé, found that the Israeli military’s use of Azure breached privacy protections and ethical standards.
• Brad Smith, Microsoft’s Vice Chair and President, emphasized two guiding principles: no facilitation of mass surveillance and respect for customer privacy.

Global Fallout

• Much of the data was stored on Azure servers in Ireland and the Netherlands, raising EU privacy concerns.
• The timing coincides with PM Netanyahu’s controversial UN visit, amid ICC arrest warrants and European travel bans.

(Source – Al Jazeera)

—Agencies