Islamabad, May 22, 2025: In a move sparking fresh outrage, Microsoft is reportedly using internal filters to block employee emails containing keywords like “Palestine,” “Gaza,” and “genocide.” According to the pro-Palestine employee collective No Azure for Apartheid, the censorship began quietly and has intensified ongoing tensions within the tech giant over its connections to Israeli military operations.
The group claims Microsoft’s internal Exchange servers now prevent certain politically sensitive terms from being delivered via email—without notifying either the sender or recipient.
Interestingly, similar terms such as “Israel” or even misspelled versions like “P4lestine” are said to bypass the filter, raising questions about selective suppression of speech.
This comes on the heels of widespread employee unrest within Microsoft over its alleged collaboration with Israel amid its military campaign in Gaza.
Activists within the company have disrupted events and staged walkouts, calling on Microsoft to end its cloud service deals and technology support to the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
The internal uproar was further inflamed last week when the company tried to deflect criticism ahead of its annual Build developer conference. Microsoft published a report stating its internal review found “no direct harm” caused by its services to civilians in Gaza.
But for many employees and critics, the statement lacked transparency and failed to address broader ethical concerns.
Leaks published by Drop Site News, The Guardian, and +972 Magazine revealed that Microsoft had not only engaged with the Israeli Ministry of Defense but had offered tailor-made deals, substantial discounts, and strategic proposals for cloud and AI services.
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These revelations position Microsoft as a major enabler of digital infrastructure during Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip.
