Investigating if Israel Utilized Microsoft Cloud for Development of Palestinian Monitoring Network
In a recent development, Microsoft has announced that it will conduct a thorough review following allegations that its cloud platform, Azure, has been used by Israel's military intelligence unit, Unit 8200, for mass surveillance targeting Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
The Guardian published a report claiming that Unit 8200 has been using Azure's near-limitless storage capacity to archive millions of daily calls from Palestinians, creating one of the largest and most intrusive surveillance datasets on a single population. This allegation has raised significant ethical and legal concerns.
Key details from multiple investigations and reports reveal that in late 2021, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella met with Yossi Sariel, then-head of Unit 8200, to develop a customized and segregated section within Azure for Israel’s military surveillance needs. This segregated area was used to build a system for collecting and storing millions of mobile phone calls from Palestinians.
Leaked internal Microsoft documents and interviews with 11 sources from Microsoft and Israeli intelligence corroborate the scale of this collaboration. Activists, employees, and human rights groups have raised serious concerns about Microsoft’s complicity and called for the company to cut ties. Protests have taken place at Microsoft headquarters demanding an end to the collaboration due to the potential involvement in facilitating human rights violations in Gaza.
Microsoft has stated it was not informed about the specific nature of the data stored by Unit 8200 on Azure, but it has launched an urgent probe into whether its cloud business is being used for a massive surveillance operation in Gaza. The review of Microsoft's dealings with Israel will be overseen by attorneys at the law firm Covington & Burling.
It is important to note that if Microsoft's Azure is found to be used for the storage of data files of phone calls obtained through broad or mass surveillance of civilians, it would represent a violation of Microsoft's terms of service. Microsoft's statement to Gizmodo reiterates its commitment to upholding its terms of service and not being complicit in any actions that harm civilians.
This is not the first time big tech firms have been accused of complicity in Israel's military efforts. In July, a U.N. group released a report claiming that Microsoft, Alphabet (Google's parent company), and Amazon grant Israel virtually government-wide access to their cloud and artificial intelligence technologies. Other big tech firms, notably Amazon and Google, have also faced similar allegations.
Microsoft employees have also voiced their concerns, with one employee disrupting Microsoft's 50th anniversary with shouts. Protesters have disrupted Microsoft's talks and conferences, demanding an end to the company's contracts with Israel.
In May, Microsoft released a report claiming to have found "no evidence to date" that its Azure and AI technologies have been used to target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza. However, the second probe was initiated in response to these allegations, indicating that Microsoft is taking these claims seriously.
The U.N. report did not find evidence that these tech companies have directly contributed to human rights abuses, but it raised concerns about the potential misuse of their technologies. As the review progresses, it will be crucial to ensure that tech companies uphold their commitment to ethical and legal practices, particularly in sensitive regions where human rights are at stake.
- The tech community, including Gizmodo, has been closely following the allegations against Microsoft, with its cloud platform Azure being used for mass surveillance by Israel's military intelligence unit, Unit 8200.
- The financial and business sectors, as well as the general news, have been discussing the ethical and legal issues arising from Microsoft's potential complicity in Israel's military surveillance activities in Gaza and the West Bank.
- The political implications of this controversy are significant, as activists, employees, and human rights groups are calling for Microsoft to cut ties with Unit 8200, raising concerns about the role of technology in human rights violations.
- As the review of Microsoft's dealings with Unit 8200 continues, tech experts and policy makers will watch closely to see if Microsoft upholds its commitment to ethical and legal practices, particularly in regions where human rights are a critical concern.
