Microsoft investigates claims 'Israel' used its tech to spy on Palestinians

Microsoft has announced an “urgent” external review into claims that 'Israel’s' military intelligence agency, Unit 8200, has used the company’s technology to conduct mass surveillance on Palestinians.

The move follows a Guardian investigation, conducted with +972 Magazine and Local Call, which revealed that Unit 8200 reportedly relied on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform to store millions of mobile phone calls made daily in Gaza and the West Bank. According to the reports, the agency used a customised and segregated section of Azure for this purpose.

In a statement on Friday, Microsoft said, “Using Azure for the storage of data files of phone calls obtained through broad or mass surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank” would violate its terms of service.

The inquiry will be overseen by US law firm Covington & Burling and marks Microsoft’s second external review into the 'Israeli' military’s use of its technology. An earlier review this year, prompted by internal concerns and prior reporting, concluded in May that the company “found no evidence to date” that the 'Israeli' military had breached its terms or used Azure “to target or harm people” in Gaza.

However, the latest Guardian investigation has raised fresh questions among senior Microsoft executives about whether 'Israel'-based employees may have withheld details about Unit 8200’s use of Azure during the earlier review. Microsoft said the new inquiry “expands on the prior review” in response to “additional and precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review.”

The company is also under pressure from the worker-led campaign group No Azure for Apartheid, which accuses Microsoft of “complicity in genocide and apartheid” and has called for the company to sever all ties with the 'Israeli' military. The group criticized the new inquiry as “yet another tactic to delay” meeting its demands.

Sources familiar with Microsoft’s internal discussions said the company is assessing whether intelligence obtained from calls stored on Azure may have been used to plan military strikes in Gaza.

Leaked documents reviewed by the Guardian suggest Microsoft was aware as early as late 2021 that Unit 8200 intended to transfer large volumes of classified data into Azure. Executives, including CEO Satya Nadella, reportedly attended a meeting that year where the agency outlined plans to move up to 70 percent of its intelligence data to the cloud platform. Microsoft has said its executives were not aware that this data would include the content of intercepted Palestinian calls. A spokesperson said, “We have no information related to the data stored in the customer’s cloud environment.”

An 'Israeli' military spokesperson stated that its collaborations with companies such as Microsoft are “conducted based on regulated and legally supervised agreements” and comply with international law.

Microsoft said the new review will also examine the military’s commercial agreements with the company and promised to “share with the public the factual findings that result from this review” once it is complete.