Microsoft disables services for Israeli military after investigation

Microsoft cuts services used by Israel military unit

Microsoft is disabling a set of its services to a unit within the Israel Ministry of Defense, stemming from a Guardian report that the IDF was using Microsoft Azure for mass surveillance of Palestinians.

SEATTLE - Microsoft says it has ceased and disabled some of its services for the Israel Ministry of Defense after an investigation centered around the use of its technology for the mass surveillance of civilians in Gaza.

What they're saying:

Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, shared an update saying the company has stopped providing certain subscriptions to Israel's Ministry of Defense (IMOD), including specific cloud storage and AI services and technologies.

Smith said Microsoft conducted a review of allegations published in an article by The Guardian, stating the Israel Defense Forces was using Microsoft Azure, a cloud computing platform, to store "data files of phone calls obtained through broad or mass surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank."

Red paint was splattered on the Microsoft sign in Redmond, WA on Aug. 20, 2025. (Redmond, WA Police Department)

During the review, Microsoft said it found evidence that supports elements from The Guardian's reporting, and has disabled certain services to Israeli's military to ensure compliance with the company's terms of service.

Microsoft says it reviewed business records, including financial statements, internal documents, emails, messaging communications, and other records in the ongoing investigation.

Dig deeper:

This comes after multiple protests that happened at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, including a sit-in at President Brad Smith's office. The demonstrations led to many arrests and several firings of Microsoft employees.

Microsoft fires 4 employees after on-campus protest

Protests over Microsoft's contract with the Israeli military escalated after 25 people were arrested in eight days, with seven demonstrators barricading themselves in the office of Microsoft President Brad Smith.

Smith said Microsoft has informed IMOD of the company's decision, and will release more information in the coming days and weeks.

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