Microsoft’s efforts to silence internal dissent over its ties to Israel have taken a new turn.
The tech giant is now censoring employee emails containing any of the words “Palestine,” “Gaza,” “apartheid,” or “genocide,” according to employees.
Some emails with these keywords reportedly disappear, while others are delayed for hours. In contrast, messages containing the word “Israel” or intentionally misspelled versions of “Palestine” are delivered without issue.
A company spokesperson defended the discriminatory move, stating that Microsoft had implemented measures to limit “politically focused emails,” describing mass messages on non-work-related topics as “inappropriate.”
However, members of the employee group No Azure for Apartheid say the censorship even affects emails sent to a single recipient and those sent to Microsoft’s HR to report discrimination cases.
The tech firm is facing growing pressure from staff demanding it end its provision of AI technology to the Israeli military, which they say is being used in Tel Aviv’s genocidal war on Gaza.
