
"In a sent to Microsoft at the end of last month, EFF and five other civil society organizations-Access Now, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Fight for the Future, and 7amleh-called on the company to cease any further involvement in providing AI and cloud computing technologies for use in Israel's ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. EFF also sent updated letters to Google and Amazon renewing our calls for each company to respond to the serious concerns"
"On September 25, Microsoft's Vice Chair & President that the company had "ceased and disabled a set of services" provided to a unit within the Israel Ministry of Defense. The announcement followed an internal review at the company after The Guardian on August 6 that the IDF is using Azure for the storage of data files of phone calls obtained through broad or mass surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank."
"This investigation by The Guardian , +972 Magazine , and also revealed the extent to which Israel's military intelligence unit in question, Unit 8200, has used Microsoft's Azure cloud infrastructure and AI technologies to process intercepted communications and power AI-driven targeting systems against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank- potentially facilitating war crimes and acts of genocide."
EFF and five civil society organizations called on Microsoft to cease providing AI and cloud computing technologies used in Israel's operations in the Gaza Strip. EFF sent updated letters to Google and Amazon renewing demands for substantive responses about human rights commitments; Amazon did not acknowledge the request and Google provided no substantive reply. Microsoft announced it had "ceased and disabled a set of services" provided to a unit within the Israel Ministry of Defense after an internal review and reporting that the IDF used Azure to store phone-call data obtained through broad surveillance. Reporting indicates Unit 8200 used Azure and AI to process intercepted communications and power AI-driven targeting against Palestinians, potentially facilitating war crimes and acts of genocide. Microsoft’s action is described as a positive step and competitors are urged to follow.
Read at Electronic Frontier Foundation
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