"The general manager of Microsoft Israel was quietly removed from his role last week as part of an ongoing probe into how the company's technology is potentially being used to spy on Palestinians. The tech giant was reportedly concerned that the work being done by its office in Israel was opening it up to legal liability in Europe."
"Last September, The Guardian reported that Microsoft's Azure cloud technology was being used to help the Israel Defense Forces spy on communications by Palestinians in Gaza, including private cell phone conversations. This data collection could allegedly have been used by the military to help it pick targets for its ongoing military operations. In response to the report, Microsoft announced that it was pausing its contracts with the IDF and would conduct a full investigation into the claims."
""Haimovich left his position after an investigation by Microsoft's global management into Microsoft Israel's work with the Ministry of Defense, amid concern that the company's code of ethics had been violated," Globes reported on May 11. "Several managers in Microsoft Israel's governance department have also left their positions.""
"Microsoft Israel now reports to Microsoft France as the company looks for its new leader. While Microsoft's biggest cloud computing competitors, Google and Amazon, have contracts with the Israeli government to operate directly in the country and thus avoid international scrutiny, Microsoft's services are routed through Europe, opening it up to legal liability from those countries."
Microsoft Israel’s general manager was removed following a global management investigation into how Microsoft technology may be used to spy on Palestinians. Microsoft had previously paused contracts with the Israel Defense Forces and launched an investigation after reports that Azure cloud technology helped collect communications in Gaza, including private cell phone conversations, potentially used for targeting. After additional findings, Microsoft cut ties with employees in its regional office, including the departure of Haimovich and other governance managers. Microsoft Israel now reports to Microsoft France as leadership changes continue. Routing services through Europe may expose Microsoft to legal liability under European jurisdictions. Microsoft and Xbox also face boycott efforts tied to support provided to the Israeli government during the war on Gaza.
Read at Kotaku
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]