Microsoft launch inquiry on Israel use of tech for surveillance of Palestinians

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/15/microsoft-launches-inquiry-claims-israel-used-tech-mass-surveillance-palestinians

by t0lo • 11 months ago

42 12 11 months ago

theguardian.com

SilverElfin3• 11 months ago

In a statement, 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 be prohibited by its terms of service.

Why would it be against their terms? Literally all the western nations’ governments (US, UK, others that share intelligence relationships with the US) all use cloud platforms for their work, which definitely includes surveillance of people. But it’s a problem when Israel does it? Microsoft and Amazon literally built private cloud platforms to serve sensitive government needs like this.

cma2• 11 months ago

In the US it is supposed to be foreign surveillance or domestic with a warrant. For Israel this is domestic without a warrant since they have occupied or otherwise broadly controlled Gaza for many decades.

Foreign surveillance from someone with little power over you is different than an Orwellian system domestically.

SilverElfin3• 11 months ago

Gaza has been independent for a while though. Israel left in 2005 or so and Hamas came into power soon after, voted in by the residents of Gaza willfully. And there has been a long history of rocket attacks and other terrorism since then.

Anyways, the US, UK, and EU aren’t any different. Snowden revealed all the warrantless surveillance going on against their own people.

Aliabid94• 11 months ago

Because 1) this is not their own citizens they are surveilling and 2) Israel is committing genocide according to many (most?) international and human rights orgs, which would make Microsoft an accomplice

t0lo3• 11 months ago

Considering microsoft disabled the emails of people who spoke out about palestinian human rights this is quite transparently a saving face tactic. They've been wilfully complicit at every step of the way.

SilverElfin3• 11 months ago

The US, UK, EU, and Australia all surveil non citizens. It isn’t an issue for any one of them. They don’t even care that they’re doing warrantless surveillance of their own citizens.

emorning4• 11 months ago

Why would it be against their terms?<

Azure's terms of service probably require customer agreement for data processing.

The Israelis certainly have no such agreement.

t0lo3• 11 months ago

Anddd flagged :) I wonder who by.

oriettaxx• 11 months ago

exactly, and why

Microsoft launch inquiry on Israel use of tech for surveillance of Palestinians

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