Microsoft Blocks Israel’s Use of Its Technology in Mass Surveillance of Palestinians
In a significant move, Microsoft has terminated the Israeli military’s access to key technologies utilized for a vast surveillance operation targeting Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. This decision comes after revelations that Unit 8200, Israel’s elite military intelligence unit, employed Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform to store and analyze millions of Palestinian civilian phone calls daily—a use that violated Microsoft’s terms of service, the company has confirmed.
Background: The Surveillance Program and Microsoft’s Involvement
Unit 8200, often compared to the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) for its intelligence scope, developed a sophisticated system capable of indiscriminately collecting and processing cellular communications from the Palestinian population. The surveillance effort was so extensive it adopted a mantra within Unit 8200: “A million calls an hour.” The intercepted data amounted to an estimated 8,000 terabytes, stored in Microsoft data centers located in the Netherlands.
The collaboration between Microsoft and Unit 8200 started following a meeting in 2021 between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and the unit’s then-commander Yossi Sariel. Together, they initiated plans to migrate large volumes of sensitive intelligence data into Azure, leveraging the platform’s vast storage and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
Revelations and Investigations
The Guardian, in partnership with the Israeli-Palestinian journal +972 Magazine and Hebrew-language outlet Local Call, exposed the extent of this surveillance operation. Their investigation detailed how Azure’s flexible infrastructure enabled Unit 8200 to not only store but also analyze the intercepted calls using advanced AI tools.
Following the publication of these findings, Microsoft launched an external review to examine the nature of its relationship with Unit 8200. The company confirmed that the military unit’s use of Azure for mass civilian surveillance breached its policies against supporting such practices.
Microsoft’s Response and Actions Taken
Microsoft’s vice-chair and president, Brad Smith, communicated to company employees that it had ceased and disabled access to certain cloud storage and AI services for Unit 8200. Emphasizing the company’s stance, Smith stated, “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.”
Though Microsoft has terminated specific services used by Unit 8200, it maintains its broader commercial relationship with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which continues to have access to other platforms and technologies offered by the company.
In response to the Guardian’s report, Unit 8200 reportedly moved the vast bulk of its data from Microsoft’s European data centers to Amazon Web Services (AWS), signaling an attempt to circumvent the restriction. Neither the IDF nor Amazon has commented on this data transfer.
Context: The Humanitarian Crisis and International Response
The decision by Microsoft arrives amid mounting global scrutiny of Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza, where over 65,000 Palestinians—primarily civilians—have been reported killed during nearly two years of conflict following a Hamas-led attack in October 2023. A United Nations commission recently concluded that Israel’s actions in Gaza may constitute genocide, a charge Israel denies but which many international legal experts support. The Guardian’s joint investigation into Microsoft’s role has triggered protests at Microsoft’s U.S. headquarters and European data centers, along with demands by advocacy groups, including No Azure for Apartheid, for the company to sever all technological ties with the Israeli military.
Implications and Future Considerations
Microsoft’s unprecedented step to revoke Unit 8200’s access to its AI and cloud services marks the first instance of a major U.S. tech corporation withdrawing critical support from the Israeli military amidst ongoing conflict. The move raises broader questions about the ethical responsibilities of technology companies in conflict zones and the implications of hosting sensitive military data in third-party overseas clouds.
The revelation may also prompt the Israeli military to reconsider its data storage policies, particularly concerning the security and sovereignty issues of housing classified intelligence abroad.
Summary
- Microsoft ended access to its Azure cloud and AI services for Israel’s Unit 8200 due to mass surveillance violations.
- Unit 8200 intercepted millions of Palestinian phone calls daily, storing approximately 8,000 terabytes of data on Microsoft’s platform.
- After investigative reports revealed these practices, Microsoft conducted an urgent review and confirmed breaches of its policies.
- Microsoft retains commercial ties with the IDF but limits specific surveillance-related services.
- The decision follows international criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, with significant civilian casualties and accusations of genocide.
- The military has reportedly transferred surveillance data to Amazon Web Services amid Microsoft’s restrictions.
This development underscores the complex intersection of technology, ethics, and international conflict, highlighting the growing pressure on tech companies to monitor and regulate how their platforms are used by government and military actors globally.
