Microsoft employee protests lead to 18 arrests as company reviews its work with Israel’s military

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Police officers arrested 18 people at worker-led protests at Microsoft headquarters Wednesday as the tech company promises an “urgent” review of the Israeli military’s use of its technology during the ongoing war in Gaza.

Microsoft late last week said it was tapping a law firm to investigate allegations reported by British newspaper The Guardian that the Israeli Defense Forces used Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform to store phone call data obtained through the mass surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Microsoft employee protests lead to 18 arrests as company reviews its work with Israel's military

Police officers have arrested 18 people during protests at Microsoft headquarters. The protests, led by workers, took place over two days and called for Microsoft to cut business ties with Israel.

apnews.com

 

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In February, The Associated Press revealed previously unreported details about the tech giant’s close partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, with military use of commercial artificial intelligence products skyrocketing by nearly 200 times after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack.