Microsoft terminated access to cloud services for Israeli military intelligence unit after discovering violations of company policies. Unit 8200 had used Azure platforms to store surveillance data from millions of Palestinian phone calls collected from Gaza and the West Bank. The tech giant acted following Guardian newspaper investigations that exposed the mass surveillance program. Company officials found evidence supporting reports about unauthorized data storage practices.
The Israeli spy agency quickly transferred approximately 8,000 terabytes of intercepted communications from Microsoft data centers in the Netherlands. Sources indicate the unit plans to move operations to Amazon Web Services instead. This marks the first known instance of an American technology company withdrawing military services from Israel since fighting began in Gaza. Microsoft maintains other commercial relationships with Israeli defense forces remain unaffected.
The Israeli spy agency quickly transferred approximately 8,000 terabytes of intercepted communications from Microsoft data centers in the Netherlands. Sources indicate the unit plans to move operations to Amazon Web Services instead. This marks the first known instance of an American technology company withdrawing military services from Israel since fighting began in Gaza. Microsoft maintains other commercial relationships with Israeli defense forces remain unaffected.
