Microsoft employees protest at their company’s HQ occupying an area they called the “Free Zone.” Allegations of sexual harassment and a toxic workplace environment sparked this protest. They claim that Microsoft’s Azure software has been used by Israel’s military surveillance agency, Unit 8200, to store recordings of mobile phone calls made by Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. The protest happened just three months after Microsoft had finally announced that it would hire an independent investigator to review these claims.
The situation escalated during Microsoft’s annual developer conference when employee Joe Lopez interrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s keynote speech. Lopez expressed his outrage, shouting, “Satya, how about you show how Microsoft is killing Palestinians.” His interruption emphasized the deepening unrest among workers over the company’s reported involvement in surveillance operations used against Palestinians.
According to reports, Unit 8200 was able to use Azure to aggregate huge volumes of sensitive data, including recordings of private conversations. This practice has been the source of great ethical contention among rank-and-file Microsoft employees and supporters. For former employee Hossam Nasr, it was time to take his protest to the next level. He was terminated for organizing a vigil in solidarity with Palestine, and he painted Microsoft’s response to the situation as lacking.
“Every single second that we wait, things are worse and worse in Palestine,” said Nasreen Jaradat, another employee involved in the protest. She went on to detail the urgency of impacting the status quo and urged leaders at Microsoft to take swift action.
The protest featured placards with messages such as “Join The Worker Intifada – No Labor for Genocide” and “Martyred Palestinian Children’s Plaza.” Demonstrators expressed their disappointment at Microsoft. They’re angered by the company’s alleged failure to act on military surveillance and its human rights violations.
Microsoft has stated that it is investigating allegations surrounding Azure’s use but has not provided significant updates since announcing the inquiry. A spokesperson for the company reiterated that there is currently no evidence suggesting that Azure technologies have been used to target or harm individuals amid the ongoing conflict.
“Based on these reviews, including interviewing dozens of employees and assessing documents, we have found no evidence to date that Microsoft’s Azure and AI technologies have been used to target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza.” – Microsoft spokesperson
Employees have little reason to believe an investigation would be thorough or effective. Even one Microsoft employee, who asked not to be named, expressed doubt that the company’s actions would make a difference. All they had to say was, “I don’t believe it will.”
Julius Shan, another employee involved in the protest, noted that their actions were aimed at fostering dialogue among staff about their work’s impact on global issues. “I think we are inspiring conversation among the people who work at Microsoft to feel more comfortable talking about this with each other and about how their work is contributing to genocide,” Shan explained.
The protest moved no more than a few hundred feet in around two hours. Police told the protesters they would be arrested for trespassing if they did not clear the area. Microsoft employees are speaking out and calling for accountability with increasing frequency. As internal conflicts play out, allegations of surveillance complicity against the company’s leadership members continue to cloud the company.
The ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza adds further complexity to the backdrop of these protests. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 62,000 Palestinians have lost their lives since the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) started retaliatory operations following Hamas’s initial attacks on October 7.