World
The Israeli army is carrying out massacres in Gaza with the aim of wiping out Hamas, unleashing relentless airstrikes that have killed many innocent civilians. These attacks have now created trouble for tech giant Microsoft. At its U.S. headquarters, some employees recently staged a protest against the atrocities being committed by the Israeli army in Gaza.
They alleged that the Israeli army was using Microsoft’s technology to commit these atrocities. The employees demanded that Microsoft immediately end all technical ties with the Israeli military. The company, alarmed by the protests, reported the matter to the police. As a result, police arrested around 18 Microsoft employees.
The protests were held against the use of Microsoft software for Israeli military operations in Gaza, including surveillance of Palestinians. Employees staged demonstrations at the company’s East Campus in Redmond, Washington. Following a complaint from the company, Redmond police arrived at the site and arrested 18 protesters on August 20 at around 12:15 PM. Among those arrested were both current and former Microsoft employees.
Reason behind the protests
The protests were triggered by a report published in the British newspaper The Guardian. The report claimed that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were using Microsoft’s Azure cloud services to monitor phone calls of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. According to information revealed by an international news agency, Microsoft has strong ties with Israel’s Ministry of Defense. The report also said that since the Hamas attack in October 2023, the Israeli military’s use of AI technology has increased 200 times. Microsoft’s Azure platform was allegedly being used for espionage, language translation, and data analysis, with the results feeding into AI-powered targeting systems. However, Microsoft’s own internal review previously found no evidence that Azure or its AI platforms were being used in ways that could harm civilians.
Microsoft reviews the issue amid protests
In response to these allegations, Microsoft said it had initiated an investigation through the law firm Covington & Burling. The company clarified that its service rules do not allow such uses. It acknowledged the seriousness of the matter and stressed the need for a full investigation. However, employees remain dissatisfied with this explanation, arguing that simply conducting an inquiry is not enough. They are demanding that Microsoft immediately end its technological support to Israel. Protests on this issue have been continuing for several months.
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