Washington (Web Desk): Global technology giant Microsoft has announced that it has blocked access to its cloud services for a secret Israeli military intelligence unit involved in extensive surveillance of Palestinian citizens. The unit was reportedly misusing Microsoft’s technology to monitor Palestinians on a large scale.
Brad Smith, Microsoft’s President and Vice Chairman, revealed that this decision was taken following the publication of an investigative report by the British newspaper The Guardian, which exposed the activities of the Israeli military unit 8200. According to the report, the unit exploited Microsoft’s Azure cloud service to extract mobile phone call data from Palestinians.
Microsoft stated that the Israeli military unit’s unauthorized use of its AI and data services violated the company’s policies, leading to the suspension of their access.
This technology enabled the Israeli military to gather sensitive information such as Palestinians’ location data and call records, which were then utilized for security and intelligence purposes.