"Microsoft said Thursday it had disabled services to a unit within the Israeli military after a company review had determined its artificial intelligence and cloud computing products were being used to help carry out mass surveillance of Palestinians. The action comes after The Associated Press and The Guardian published reports earlier this year revealing how the Israeli Ministry of Defense had been using Microsoft's Azure platform to aid in the war in Gaza and occupation of the West Bank."
"An AP investigation in February showed that the Israeli military's use of Microsoft products skyrocketed after a deadly surprise attack by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, 2023. The AP's report cited internal Microsoft data showing the Israelis were using gigabytes of cloud storage and massive amounts of AI-enabled language translation services. The AP also reported that Israel's military used Microsoft Azure to compile information gathered through mass surveillance, which it transcribes and translates, including phone calls and text messages."
Microsoft disabled services to a unit within the Israeli military after a company review determined its AI and cloud products were being used to carry out mass surveillance of Palestinians. Information indicates the Israeli Ministry of Defense used Microsoft's Azure platform in operations in Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank. Internal Microsoft data showed use of its products surged after the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, including large cloud storage use and AI-enabled language translation services that transcribed and translated phone calls and texts. Multiple Azure subscriptions were tied to Unit 8200, and Microsoft said it sold services to the military while an internal review found 'no evidence' its platform was used to target or harm people.
Read at SecurityWeek
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]