Microsoft blocks employees from sending emails that mention “Palestine” or “Gaza”

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At present, Microsoft‘s email system is restricting the use of certain phrases, specifically “Palestine” and “Gaza”. These phrases are currently being temporarily censored within the company.

According to anti-apartheid organization No Azure for Apartheid, numerous Microsoft employees have been unable to send emails containing words such as “Palestine,” “Gaza,” or “genocide”. This temporary restriction affects emails where these terms appear either in the subject or the content of the message.

Microsoft has told The Verge that measures have been implemented to minimize politically-oriented email communications within their organization.

Microsoft representative Frank Shaw stated to The Verge, “It’s not suitable to mass-email staff about non-work matters. We provide a platform for employees who choose to engage with political issues. Recently, numerous politically charged emails were sent to a significant number of our employees. To minimize these, we’ve taken steps to restrict such emails only to those who have expressed interest.

During the last few weeks, various demonstrations have disrupted multiple Microsoft gatherings. A demonstration during Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebration underscored the calls from “No Azure for Apartheid” activists.

2025’s construction was halted on three occasions due to protests, one of which inadvertently caused Microsoft to unveil Walmart’s artificial intelligence strategies.

Microsoft has verified it’s collaborating with the Israeli administration, yet refutes allegations that their Azure and Artificial Intelligence technologies were utilized to inflict harm during the Gaza clashes.

Over the past few months, there has been discussion about allegations that Microsoft’s Azure and AI technologies are being utilized by the Israeli military for civilian targeting or causing damage during the conflict in Gaza. We understand and address these concerns earnestly. To gain a clearer understanding, we have carried out an internal investigation and enlisted an external agency to conduct further research on this matter. Based on our investigations, which included speaking with numerous employees and examining documents, we have not found any substantial evidence so far that Microsoft’s Azure and AI technologies are being used for targeting or causing harm in the Gaza conflict.

As a tech enthusiast, I’m sharing some insights about Microsoft’s connection with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, as outlined in their recent announcement. This statement touches upon the ongoing issues in the Gaza Strip, yet it chooses to omit any explicit reference to Palestine.

Additionally, Microsoft clarified that they do not have visibility into how their clients utilize their software when it’s installed on their private servers or personal devices.

It’s crucial to understand that Microsoft can’t monitor how customers employ our software on their personal servers or devices. This is common for on-premise software. Similarly, we don’t have insight into the operations of IMOD’s government cloud, which are managed through contracts with providers other than Microsoft. In essence, our evaluations do not apply to these scenarios.

The ongoing demonstrations led by No Azure for Apartheid primarily center around Microsoft’s cloud agreements with the Israeli administration. Microsoft asserts that thorough investigations, both internally and externally, have yielded no proof that Microsoft Azure, AI technologies, or any other software from the company has been utilized to cause harm to individuals.

The narrative remains unfolding, with demonstrations persisting and Microsoft encountering persistent examination regarding their government deals.

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2025-05-22 15:39