Microsoft has quietly implemented a policy that blocks employee emails containing the words “ Palestine ,” “ Gaza, ” or “ genocide ” on internal Exchange servers, according to “ No Azure for Apartheid ,” a group of Microsoft employees who support Palestine. The automated filter, which silently prevents these emails from reaching recipients, was first spotted Wednesday—just after the activist group’s repeated disruptions at Microsoft’s Build developer conference
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Microsoft has been rocked by internal backlash over its collaboration with the Israeli military and government amid the ongoing offensive in Gaza. The company has faced disruptions at its events, including employee protests over the provision of cloud services and other critical infrastructure used by the Israeli military.
Now, the company appears to be tightening its grip on internal chatter. The terms “Israel” and “P4lestine” do not trigger the blocking, the group said. Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last week, Microsoft attempted to deal with the damage caused by its alleged involvement in the genocide. Ahead of its annual Build event, which is aimed at developers and tech enthusiasts from around the world, the company released a report claiming that an internal investigation found that Microsoft's activities did not harm civilians in Gaza.
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Microsoft’s provision of technology to the Israeli Ministry of Defense (MOD) was first reported by Drop Site News, along with The Guardian and +972 magazine, based on a series of internal documents. The reports revealed that Microsoft actively pursued contracts with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, offering them customized proposals and significant discounts on cloud and AI services. These deals, negotiated and escalated over months, positioned Microsoft as a major technology provider during the Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Microsoft did not dispute the authenticity of the documents or publications, but a few days before its big annual events, it issued a statement, in which it said it had conducted an internal review and “found no indication that Microsoft’s Azure and AI technologies, or any of our other software, were used to cause harm to people.”
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However, according to internal documents and emails reviewed by Drop Site, just days after the October 7, 2023 attack and the start of the Israeli offensive against Palestine, Microsoft began promoting its services to the Israeli military, anticipating increased military spending. In the following months, the Israeli military grew to become one of Microsoft’s 500 largest customers worldwide.
Source: dropsitenews
