AhlulBayt News Agency: A group of Microsoft employees staged a dramatic sit-in at the office of company president Brad Smith, protesting the tech giant’s collaboration with Israel’s Unit 8200, the military intelligence agency accused of conducting mass surveillance on Palestinians.
According to Iran Press, the protest follows recent revelations published by The Guardian and other investigative outlets, which reported that Unit 8200 has been using a segregated section of Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform to store millions of intercepted phone calls from Gaza and the West Bank. These data archives were allegedly used to identify bombing targets and manipulate civilians.
Organized by the activist group “No Azure for Apartheid,” the demonstration marks a significant escalation in employee dissent within Big Tech. Protesters renamed the plaza outside Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters “The Martyred Palestinian Children’s Plaza” and installed symbolic displays including tents, black shrouds, and banners reading “Stop Starving Gaza”.
Microsoft has responded by launching an external investigation led by the law firm Covington & Burling, acknowledging the gravity of the allegations and pledging to publicly release the findings. However, activists have dismissed the company’s previous internal review as a “PR stunt” and are demanding the immediate termination of all contracts with the Israeli military.
The protest reflects growing global outrage over Israel’s military actions in Gaza and increasing pressure on corporations to sever ties with entities accused of human rights violations. It also signals a turning point in employee-led activism, as workers challenge the ethical implications of their companies’ technologies being used in armed conflicts.
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