Microsoft on Thursday announced that it has restricted an Israeli defense unit’s access to certain cloud services that were reportedly being used in a large-scale surveillance program in Gaza.
The decision followed a two-month internal investigation triggered by a Guardian report claiming that the Israeli Defense Forces were utilizing Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform “to store data files of phone calls collected through broad or mass surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.”
“We found evidence that corroborates parts of The Guardian’s reporting,” Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a message to employees shared publicly.
He added, “We do not provide technology designed to enable the mass surveillance of civilians.”
Microsoft reviewed the decision with the Israel Ministry of Defense along with steps the tech firm is taking to ensure compliance, according to Smith.
“This does not impact the important work that Microsoft continues to do to protect the cybersecurity of Israel and other countries in the Middle East,” Smith said.
