A group of Microsoft employees that supports Palestine, called No Azure for Apartheid, claims the company has quietly added a new rule on its internal Exchange servers. This rule blocks emails that mention words like “Palestine,” “Gaza,” or “genocide.” The filter is said to prevent such emails from reaching recipients without any warning. It was first noticed on Wednesday.
Microsoft has recently faced internal protests over its work with the Israeli military and government during the ongoing Gaza conflict. Employees have interrupted events to voice concerns about the company’s cloud services and other tech infrastructure being used by Israel.
Now, it seems Microsoft is controlling what employees can discuss inside. According to the employee group, mentioning “Israel” and “Palestine” does not trigger the block. Microsoft has not responded to questions about these claims.
Last week, Microsoft tried to limit damage from its possible role in Gaza’s plight. Before its main annual event, Build, the company issued a report. The report said an internal review found Microsoft’s work had not harmed civilians in Gaza.
Microsoft’s efforts to supply technology to the Israeli Ministry of Defense came to light through reports from Drop Site News, The Guardian, and +972 magazine. These stories used internal documents to show Microsoft made deals with Israel’s military. The company offered special deals and big discounts on cloud and AI tools.
These agreements grew over months, making Microsoft a main tech supplier during the Israeli military actions in Gaza.
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