Microsoft

Microsoft, a global technology corporation, is a direct target for international boycott due to its extensive complicity in human rights violations tied to Israeli military operations and its expanding role in developing technologies that sustain occupation, apartheid, and violence against Palestinians. Microsoft's services, including its cloud infrastructure, surveillance systems, and AI platforms, are actively used by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) to enforce displacement, surveillance, and the systematic killing of civilians in Gaza.

The company's Azure cloud computing platform serves as a critical tool enabling the IOF to conduct real-time monitoring, targeting, and data analysis during military operations in Gaza. This infrastructure has been instrumental in facilitating the persecution of over 2.3 million Palestinians, including the systematic destruction of communities, denial of basic necessities, and the facilitation of genocide.

The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement has designated Microsoft as a “priority target” for boycotts in 2025, focusing on its gaming division (Xbox) and cloud services. The BDS National Committee has labeled Microsoft as:

perhaps the most complicit tech company in Israel's illegal occupation, apartheid regime and ongoing genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza.

The BDS boycott aims to pressure Microsoft to end its cloud contract with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, which workers' coalition No Azure for Apartheid claims facilitates "AI-powered genocide."

Microsoft's partnerships with imperialist states, including the U.S. military-industrial complex, and its broader role in supplying tools of modern warfare, ranging from AI-driven targeting systems to data analytics that sustain state violence, place Microsoft at the center of most modern conflicts.

Tech for Genocide

Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform and AI technologies power critical infrastructure for Israel’s military operations in Gaza, including surveillance systems, drone strikes, and intelligence analysis. Investigative reports reveal that Microsoft has become deeply integrated into Israel's Occupation Forces, particularly since October 7th, through its Azure cloud computing and OpenAI GPT-4 services.

Dozens of IOF units, including the Military Intelligence Directorate's Unit 8200, Unit 9900, and various air, ground, and naval forces units, have significantly increased their purchases of these services. The consumption of Azure cloud storage increased 60% above pre-genocide levels, while AI tools, especially GPT-4, saw a 20-fold increase during the genocide. This surge began immediately after October 7th and continues during the on-going genocide in Gaza.

Microsoft engineers have collaborated closely with IOF surveillance divisions, providing technical support that enables real-time data analysis, monitoring, and operational coordination. This partnership underscores Microsoft’s role as an active participant in sustaining the mechanisms of erasure, occupation, and state violence.

Throughout the ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, Microsoft’s communications and messaging systems were also employed by military units responsible for maintaining "target banks", centralised databases of individuals, locations, and infrastructure designated for lethal strikes. These systems, including Microsoft’s cloud-based tools, became integral to the IOF’s capacity for mass violence, enabling the targeting of civilians. By embedding its technologies within the infrastructure of occupation and genocide, Microsoft has positioned itself as a facilitator of the destruction of Palestinian life and infrastructure.

Apartheid Infrastructure

Microsoft has direct contracts and collaborations with multiple branches of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) and the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Over the years, these services have become an integral component of the apartheid system upheld by Israeli occupational forces to enforce segregation, domination, and control over Palestinians.

Some of the programs and entities that Microsoft is complicit in include:

Population Control Registry (Rolling Stone)

Rolling Stone is a system the Israeli security forces use to manage the population registry and movement of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. It was modernised and maintained using Microsoft’s technology some time in the early 2000s.

Al Munasiq/Almunasseq

Microsoft is directly facilitating Israeli control and surveillance of Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza through "Al Munaseq" (The Coordinator) app, which is used to manage permits for Palestinians.

This app, running on Microsoft Azure, dictates the lives of countless Palestinians. It controls access to work, commerce, family visits, medical care, and legal needs. Palestinians are increasingly required to use the app, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beyond basic information like name and ID, "Al Munaseq" demands access to a user's phone's IP address, geographic location, camera, and files. Users are forced to consent to the military's ability to extract, store, and share this data with third parties. The terms explicitly state that the information can be used "for any purpose, including for security purposes."

Over half a million Palestinians are now using the app, turning their smartphones into surveillance tools for Israel.

Almunasseq app page on Google Play

Azure: Apartheid Infrastructure

According to various reports, between the start of the genocide in October 2023 and the end of June 2024, Israel’s Occupation ministry agreed to buy 19,000 hours of engineering support and consultancy services from Microsoft to assist a wide range of IOF units. The deals appear to have generated about $10m in fees for Microsoft.

Azure servers were also used to establish military applications developed by the Israeli military IT and Cyber Occupation Division. The company provided the military with servers to store the applications' information, and senior programmers of the company guided and advised in the development process.

Microsoft Authenticator

Additionally, Microsoft Authenticator app is used by the Israeli military for soldiers to log into the military's apps with an "MY IDF" user using facial recognition, a fingerprint or a one-time code.

Microsoft Smart Glasses

In 2016, the Israeli military advertised the use of Microsoft’s HoloLens technology for battlefield training, combat operations, and surveillance, with direct feedback from Microsoft developers. HoloLens is now part of Israel’s military infrastructure, deepening Microsoft’s complicity in occupation and violence.

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Artificial Intelligence & OpenAI

The connection between OpenAI and Microsoft is not just financial but infrastructural. Microsoft is OpenAI’s exclusive cloud partner, providing the immense computing power behind its models through Azure. In return, Microsoft integrates OpenAI’s technologies, like GPT and Codex, into its commercial and enterprise offerings, including Azure OpenAI services.

In January 2024, OpenAI quietly deleted its own restrictions against the use of its services for “military and warfare” activities as part of a comprehensive rewrite of its policies. At around this time, files suggest, the Israeli military’s consumption of the Azure OpenAI suite of products began to spike.

At one stage in 2024, OpenAI’s tools accounted for a quarter of the military’s consumption of machine learning tools provided by Microsoft. The company has in recent years reportedly invested $13bn in OpenAI.

Servicing the Israeli Apartheid Government

The Israeli government has an agreement with Microsoft that authorises any government office to purchase Microsoft products, with almost no restriction. In addition, the Israeli government has been buying cloud services in recent years almost exclusively from Microsoft, in amounts ranging from tens of thousands to millions of NIS a month.

Servicing the Israeli Apartheid Police

As reported by Who Profits, in January 2024, Microsoft Israel was contracted by the Israel Police as sole supplier to provide Microsoft Premier expert services and maintenance until the end of December 2026 for NIS 3,600,000.

In December 2022, Microsoft Israel was contracted by the Israeli Police to provide Microsoft Azure Cloud Services and Microsoft Products for the total of for NIS 20 million.

In 2021, Microsoft was contracted to be the sole supplier of software support services for Israel police for the amount of NIS 250,000. In 2020, the company was contracted to provide cloud services for Israel Police for the amount of NIS 7 million. In 2019, the company was contracted to provide Microsoft Azure cloud services for NIS 3.5 million.

Servicing the Israeli Apartheid Prisons

In April 2024, Microsoft Israel was contracted by the Israel Prison Service (IPS) as sole supplier to provide Premier support services until the April 2027 for NIS 2,674,620.

In 2021, Microsoft was contracted to provide software consulting services for the Israel Prison Service. In 2020, the company was contracted to provide the same services for the amount of NIS 793,893. In 2019, the company was contracted to be the sole supplier of computing products for IPS until 2022. Between 2017 and 2019, the company was contracted to provide software and servers support and consulting services for IPS.

Illegal Settlements

Microsoft provides services and partnerships to institutions in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including Ariel University and schools in Ma’ale Adumim, both established in violation of international law. Through free software, email services, certification programs, research grants, hackathons, and trainings, Microsoft supports the integrations of these illegal settlements into global academic and technological networks, the normalization of illegal settlement activities, and the displacement of native Palestinians.

Investment in Apartheid

Microsoft Israel is one of the three strategic centers of Microsoft worldwide, and one of the company's largest leased international properties spaces. In November 2023, Microsoft launched its first Cloud Datacenter Region in Israel, with an estimated investment of hundreds of millions of USD.

Microsoft has increasingly collaborated with the Israeli military through various initiatives:

Protecting Warcrimes before all

In the past year, Microsoft has faced mounting internal dissent over its ties to Israel’s military operations, particularly through its Azure cloud services. In October 2024, employees Nasr and Abdo Mohamed were fired after holding a vigil mourning Palestinian victims the Israeli genocide in Gaza, enabled by Microsoft technology. Microsoft subsequently fired a few of other employees like Aboussad and Agarwal for protesting at corporate events.

Organised under the “No Azure for Apartheid” campaign, Microsoft workers, both current and former, have protested Microsoft selling AI-driven weapons to the Israeli military. In May 2025, when employee Joe Lopez interrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s keynote at a conference, shouting “Free Palestine” before being removed.

Developing Software of War

Microsoft has always strived to become part of and benefit from the surveillance, military and war industrial complex in the U.S. and worldwide.

This started as early as the mid-90s where Bill Gates soled the U.S. Navy a custom version of Windows NT 4.0 to serve as the standard operating system on navy vessel which later was called Windows for Warships

Microsoft is actively expanding its war and weapons sector reach. In May 2024, Microsoft began to publicise the ways in which the integration of OpenAI’s tools on its Azure platform presented a “paradigm shift” for defence and intelligence organisations, offering to “augment human capabilities” and achieve “greater speed, accuracy, and efficiency”

Microsoft is actively promoting AI adoption within the weapon and war industry. While Microsoft claims its military work enhances “soldier safety,” internal documents leaked during employee protests reveal concerns about automated targeting systems and mass surveillance capabilities.

Weapons Manufacturers Relationships

Microsoft maintains extensive partnerships with major weapons manufacturers, providing cloud computing, AI, and digital transformation services that directly support the development and deployment of military technologies used in conflicts worldwide.

Relation to Israeli Weapons Manufacturers Elbit Systems

Elbit Systems is an Israeli defence technology company that develops and manufactures military products and systems.

For years, Elbit Systems utilised standard Microsoft products like Windows and Office. However, a significant shift occurred around 2019-2020 with Elbit’s embrace of Microsoft Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform.

Elbit has increasingly migrated its systems and developed new solutions on Azure, including data analytics, cybersecurity tools, and other applications. Including its OneSim platform which is used to train IOF soldiers. Elbit Systems collaborated with Microsoft engineers to rearchitect OneSim to run natively on Azure.

Microsoft has collaborated with Elbit Systems on multiple fronts to develop Azure-native surveillance and monitoring systems that process vast amount of information. AI systems for "threat detection" and many others.

Relation to US Weapons Manufacturers Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin is an American weapons manufacturers and one of the world largest. It develops and manufactures advanced military weapons, platforms, and systems and sells it to the US military, NATO allies, and Israel. Lockheed provides the Israeli military with with various weaponry, ammunition and equipments that are actively used in the killing of Palestinian civilians.

In 2022 Lockheed Martin and Microsoft forged a partnership in which Microsoft would provide Lockheed Martin with its classified cloud computing infrastructure, artificial intelligence capabilities, and various digital tools, in order to help Lockheed Martin develop the next generation of military technology.

Lockheed Martin was even the first non-government entity to operate within Microsoft’s Azure Government Secret cloud. Microsoft is also assisting Lockheed in building simulation software to train military personnel, a 5G network for military use, and helping them with their "digital transformation".

Relation to US Weapons Manufacturers Raytheon Technologies (RTX)

Raytheon Technologies (RTX) is an American weapons manufacturer, also one of the world's largest. Raytheon Technologies has significant business dealings with Israel, supplying various weapons systems, components, and maintenance services to the Israeli military that are actively used to maintain the ethno-supremacist state of Israel:

Raytheon's weapons have been used by Saudi Arabia in Yemen as well.

In 2022, Microsoft and Raytheon started a partnership to help Raytheon with it's "digital transformation". At the time said Deb Cupp, president of Microsoft US:

We are excited to partner with [Raytheon] on the move to Azure and Microsoft 365 for seamless, secure collaboration; integrated data platform insights; data center consolidation; and faster time to market for products and services. Through our joint operating model, we remain committed to helping Raytheon execute their digital transformation

The partnership encompassed migrating Raytheon's IT infrastructure to Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, jointly developing data analysis and predictive tools powered by Azure cloud computing to provide their weapons purchasers with faster, data-driven insights. Additionally, the collaboration used Azure cloud computing to accelerate microchip design for Raytheon's weapons and software systems.

Relation to UK Weapons Manufacturers BAE Systems

BAE Systems is a British multinational weapons manufacturer. It sells weapons and military equipments to various countries including the US and Israel.

BAE Systems provides the Israeli military with various weaponry, ammunition and equipments that are actively used in the killing of Palestinian civilians.

In recent years BAE Systems and Microsoft have entered a partnership focusing on the adoption of Microsoft Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, to support their client's - including Israel - naval and air capabilities. The partnership also included the use of Azure's cloud computing to accelerate microchip design for BAE's weapons and software systems and war simulation and training software.

Chief Technology and Information Officer at BAE Systems, even said on the role of Microsoft systems in developing softwares of wars:

Our innovative agreement with Microsoft will give us easier access to tools that help us make sense of this information for our customers – allowing armed forces to stay ahead of rapidly evolving threats, whilst maintaining the highest levels of security.

The CEO of Microsoft UK, Clare Barclay, commented on the agreement exposing their role:

This strategic agreement will enable defence organisations to use data more effectively. This will help them promote stability and security for residents, nations and multinational alliances. [...] BAE Systems and Microsoft are already delivering tangible results to our customers

Relation to US Weapons Manufacturers Northrop Grumman Corporation

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a major American war contractor and weapons manufacturer, ranked among the largest in the world. Northrop Grumman technologies are deeply embedded in Israel’s main weapon systems:

Northrop Grumman has also played a role in the militarisation of the Mexico borders.

Northrop Grumman Corporation integrates Microsoft’s secure cloud solutions into it’s workflows; Microsoft and Northrop have participated in an event in which they discuss how managed cloud services are transforming modern software development in war applications.

Microsoft is actively promoting AI adoption within the weapon and war industry, and Northrop Grumman is a leading partner embracing AI. The two companies are part of a broader movement to integrate AI and digital transformation into war operations.

Northrop Grumman utilises Microsoft Office 365, following recommended security protocols for government communications.

Relation to US Weapons Manufacturers Palantir Technologies

Palantir Technologies, "the AI arms dealer of the 21st century", is an American software company specialising in big data analytics and data integration platforms for government, war, weapons, intelligence, and commercial clients.

Palantir’s AI and data analytics platforms are actively used by the Israeli military agencies to determine targets, operational planning, and decision-making in ongoing conflicts, including the genocide in Gaza.

In January 2024, Palantir entered into an agreement with the Israeli military as the core technology and AI provider for the Israeli Ministry of Defence. This of course includes their AI and automatic targeting technologies

Palantir Executive VP Josh Harris said:

This strategic partnership aims to significantly aid the Israeli Ministry of Defense in addressing the current situation in Israel.

Palantir’s technology enable “digital kill chains” and contributing to mass civilian casualties, and are complicit in war crimes due to the use of its AI targeting systems in Israeli military operations.

Palantir and Microsoft have a strategic partnership that integrates Palantir’s data platforms with Microsoft’s cloud and Azure OpenAI services. Palantir’s software is available on Microsoft Azure, allowing war sector customers to deploy Palantir’s analytics tools in Microsoft's cloud environments.

Relation to US Weapons Manufacturers Anduril Industries

Anduril Industries is a U.S. based war technology company specializing in autonomous systems, counter-drone technologies, and AI-powered surveillance. Its primary customers are the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. military branches, and select "Western allies"

Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril Industries, is an apologist for apartheid Israel and a self-proclaimed "radical Zionist." On his company’s Twitter account, he regurgitated his support for Israel:

Israel has my [and our] unqualified support

As with many other war sector companies, Anduril Industries also have close relations with Microsoft, in 2025 they partnered on the U.S. Army's Augmented Reality IVAS program with Anduril leading hardware and software development and Microsoft providing the secure cloud and AI backbone. This partnership also establishes Microsoft Azure as Anduril’s preferred cloud for all workloads related to IVAS and Anduril AI technologies.

Relations to U.S. Intelligence Agencies

Microsoft maintains the most extensive and institutionalized relationships with US intelligence agencies among major technology companies, spanning four decades of documented cooperation through surveillance programs, cloud computing contracts worth tens of billions of dollars, and direct technical assistance to military operations. The company was the first to join the NSA's PRISM surveillance program in 2007.

Microsoft has a pattern of voluntary cooperation that extends far beyond legal compliance, including active technical modifications to facilitate government surveillance and aggressive pursuit of classified computing contracts despite employee protests and security concerns.

Four Decades of Intelligence Cooperation

Microsoft's relationship with US intelligence agencies began in the 1980s through IBM partnerships that provided entry into government computing markets. However, the relationship fundamentally transformed after September 11, 2007, when Microsoft became the first company to join the NSA's PRISM surveillance program.

The PRISM program provided the NSA (National Security Agency, a US government intelligence agency) with access to Microsoft's servers for email, documents, photos, and other communications. According to leaked NSA documents:

98 percent of PRISM production is based on Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft

Making these three companies the backbone of NSA internet surveillance operations. Microsoft's participation wasn't merely passive compliance. The company actively worked with the FBI's Data Intercept Technology Unit to modify products for easier surveillance access.

Between 2010 and 2013, Microsoft systematically integrated surveillance capabilities across its product portfolio. When Microsoft acquired Skype, the NSA immediately began working to integrate it into PRISM, achieving full audio communications interception by February 2011 and tripling video monitoring capacity by July 2012. For Outlook.com's 2013 launch, Microsoft worked with the NSA to circumvent encryption before the service went live, ensuring that:

emails will be unaffected because PRISM collects this data prior to encryption.

Most significantly, Microsoft built PRISM access directly into SkyDrive (now OneDrive) by April 2013, removing the need for NSA analysts to request special authorization for searches. Internal NSA documents praised the "collaborative teamwork" in these integrations, noting that the relationship had become a "team sport" between agencies and Microsoft.

Current Cloud Dominance Across Intelligence Agencies

Microsoft is also a CIA contractor for the Commercial Cloud Enterprise (C2E), which was awarded in November 2020, potentially worth "tens of billions" over 15 years. This multi-vendor contract, shared with Amazon, Google, and Oracle, provides infrastructure and platform services up to Top Secret classification levels for the CIA and 16 other intelligence community agencies.

Microsoft's Azure Government cloud has been approved for 17 intelligence agencies since 2018. The Pentagon's also awarded a multi-vendor contract (including Microsoft) in 2022 with a $9 billion ceiling over five years.

Analysis by Tech Inquiry found Microsoft holds over 5,000 subcontracts with the U.S. Department of Defense and federal law enforcement agencies since 2016. While Amazon held 350 contracts and Google held 250 contracts.

Microsoft continues extensive cooperation with U.S. government surveillance operations through multiple channels. The company's latest transparency report reveals it received thousands of demands from US law enforcement for consumer data in the first half of 2024.

NATO’s AI warfare Expansion

Microsoft plays a central role in NATO’s rapid adoption of AI-enabled combat systems:

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