Why Microsoft is censoring emails with pro-Palestinian terms
What's the story
Microsoft has allegedly started blocking emails with the words "Palestine, "Gaza," and "Genocide," preventing them from reaching recipients. The move comes after employees found that their emails were being blocked if the words were included in the subject line or body of an email. The No Azure for Apartheid (NOAA) protest group said that "dozens of Microsoft workers" have been unable to send such messages.
Company response
Microsoft defends email policy change
Microsoft has confirmed that it has implemented changes to its email policy to cut down on "politically focused emails" in the company. Microsoft spokesperson Frank Shaw said emailing a large number of employees about any topic other than work is inappropriate. He added that there is a forum for employees who have opted in to political issues.
Employee protests
Protests against Microsoft's Israeli government contracts
Notably, the timing of this email restriction comes just as current and former Microsoft employees continue to protest against the company's contracts with the Israeli government. The latest demonstrations took place during Microsoft's Build developer conference earlier this week. One of the employees, Joe Lopez, even interrupted CEO Satya Nadella's keynote by shouting, "How about you show Israeli war crimes are powered by Azure?" Lopez then sent an email to thousands of Microsoft employees. He was fired later.
Information
Microsoft recently admitted to its contracts with Israel
This week's protests follow Microsoft's recent admission of its cloud and AI contracts with Israel, while the company maintained that both internal and external reviews found "no evidence" its tools were used to "target or harm people" in Gaza.
Rising tensions
Internal tensions over Israeli military collaboration
Internal tensions at Microsoft have intensified over the company's partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Defense. After the October 7 Hamas attack, Microsoft reportedly sought contracts with the Israeli military, providing custom cloud and AI deals at discounted rates. The move reportedly made Israel's defense establishment one of Microsoft's top 500 global clients.