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7h ago

Microsoft Faces Employee Backlash Over Email Filters and Pro-Palestine Protests

Protests at Build 2025 spotlight Microsoft’s Israeli military contracts as employees discover blocked emails about Palestine.

Protest group No Azure for Apartheid has accused the company of censorship and retaliation.
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Overview

  • Microsoft’s Build 2025 conference was repeatedly disrupted by employee-led pro-Palestine protests, with demonstrators opposing its AI and cloud contracts with Israel’s military.
  • The company confirmed it implemented email filters blocking terms like 'Palestine,' 'Gaza,' and 'Genocide,' citing a need to limit politically focused mass emails.
  • Protests were coordinated by the activist group No Azure for Apartheid, which accuses Microsoft of enabling human rights violations in Gaza through its technology.
  • Microsoft defended its contracts with Israel’s Ministry of Defense, stating internal and external reviews found no evidence of civilian harm caused by its technologies.
  • An accidental screen share during a disrupted Build session revealed confidential Walmart AI plans, highlighting concerns over information security risks during the protests.