Microsoft cuts access to the technology that Israel used to investigate the Palestinians

Microsoft Declare On Thursday, it cuts access to some of its services provided to a unit from the Israeli Ministry of Defense after it learned that its technology was used to conduct a mass monitoring campaign against Palestinian citizens.

The agency is known within the Israeli Defense Forces as Unit 8200, and it is a spy unit known for its role in collecting signal intelligence and electronic procedure. during Report from the guardian Earlier this year, it was revealed that the unit was collecting and storing cellular calls recorded by the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The report indicated that the agency was collecting, storing and processing millions of calls every day through the Microsoft Azure Cloud platform. The Guardian newspaper reported that up to 8,000 TB of data collected by unit 8200 inside the Microsoft Data Data Center in the Netherlands.

Microsoft, in a Blog published by the company’s president, Brad SmithPublicly confirmed some of the reports. “Although our review is continuing, we have found evidence that supports the elements of the guardian reports. This guide includes information related to IMOD consumption of Azure storage in the Netherlands and the use of artificial intelligence services.” As a result, the company “stops and disables” some services provided to unit 8200, including its use to store the specific cloud, artificial intelligence services and technologies.

It is worth noting that it seemed that he does not stop recognizing the mass monitoring campaign directly, explaining that “we do not reach the content of our customers in this type of investigation”, and we mentioned that “we reviewed this decision with IMOD and the steps we take to ensure compliance with our service conditions, which we focus on ensuring our services for collective experiences of the players.”

Although Smith may not directly determine the monitoring program, the transition to disabled access to its services is a flagrant contradiction in terms of the company stood a few months ago. In May, Microsoft announced that there was “No evidence“Its techniques have been used to target or harm the Palestinians. The unit is unlikely to launch 8200 collective monitoring network only after this investigation. According to reports from the guardianSatya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, met with the head of unit 8200 in late 2021 to discuss hosting intelligence materials on the Microsoft Cloud platform.

Microsoft Resolution both to review and cancel (at least at the present time) its contracts with Unit 8200 following a campaign of constant pressure from the company’s employees to end the financial arrangements with the Israeli government, which is in the middle of the commitment to what is the United Nations Independent International Investigation Committee (COI) recently Getn up genocide. Organization No Azure to separate the apartheid I organized a number of procedures directed at Microsoft, including Disable Nadila’s offer During the Microsoft Construction Conference and Show during one of the fiftieth anniversary of the company. Last month, the group I organized a sit -in This occupied the Smith office, which led to many employees who participated in the demonstration being launched.

“Today’s news is an important and unprecedented victory for the campaign and our organization. Within less than a month of our sit -in in the Brad Smith office, Microsoft made a great decision to become the first American technology company to stop selling some technologies to the Israeli army since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza,” Hossam Nasr, an organization from Micros. “This rift in the fixed support wall of Microsoft to exterminate Israeli intercourse, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing in Palestine, was only possible because of our pressure and organization over the past two years.”

Nasr pointed out that Microsoft has only disrupted “a small sub -group of services to only one unit in the Israeli army”, and that “the vast majority of Microsoft’s contract with the Israeli army is still sound.” Smith, in his statement, indicates the same thing. “Microsoft continues to protect cybersecurity of Israel and other countries in the Middle East, including under Ibrahim’s agreements,” he wrote.

“While the Palestinians are still bombing, they were killed, ethnically cleared, and by force by the Israeli army, it is unreasonable and it cannot be morally defended that Microsoft continues to provide any technology at all for this army. The decision today stimulates us more only to continue our organization until all our requirements are met, and until Palestine will be met.”