Microsoft Disables Some Cloud Services Used by Israel's Defense Ministry

Microsoft has disabled the Israeli Defense Ministry's access to certain services and subscriptions, after finding evidence that the ministry used the tech company's cloud services to surveil Gaza citizens. WSJ adds: The software company made the move after an internal investigation indicated Israel's Defense Ministry used Microsoft's Azure cloud services for surveillance, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company probe is ongoing. 'As employees, we all have a shared interest in privacy protection, given the business value it creates by ensuring our customers can rely on our services with rock solid trust,' Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a blog post Thursday on Microsoft's company website.

Smith said Microsoft's investigation was guided by the company's 'longstanding protection of privacy as a fundamental right.' Microsoft opened the probe after the Guardian, the British news organization, reported in August that Israel used Azure to store data on Gaza civilians and surveil them. The issue has been the source of protests at the company.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.