Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

Microsoft has officially terminated some of its cloud and AI services used by Israel’s military intelligence unit over concerns that they were being used as a mass surveillance program targeting Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: Earlier this year, a report by The Guardian accused Israel’s elite intelligence unit, Unit 8200, of operating a vast mass surveillance program targeting millions of Palestinians using Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. The investigation revealed that the unit had stored and processed the contents of phone calls made daily by Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, building an expansive database reportedly holding up to 8,000 terabytes of intercepted conversations. Sources speaking to the Guardian described the system as so extensive that it became known internally as capturing “a million calls an hour.” The data, which was allegedly used to assist in military operations and guide airstrikes, was stored in Microsoft data centers located in the Netherlands and Ireland, raising concerns about privacy violations and international data handling. The report traced the program’s origins back to a 2021 meeting between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Unit 8200’s commander, during which plans were made to migrate sensitive intelligence operations to Azure’s infrastructure.

What’s going on now: Microsoft has announced it will cut off part of its cloud and AI services to Unit 8200, following an internal investigation that found the Israeli military’s use of its technology violated company policies. Specifically, Microsoft has disabled access to certain Azure cloud storage and artificial intelligence tools that were reportedly used to support the surveillance and analysis of millions of Palestinian phone calls. While the company stopped short of ending its entire relationship with the Israeli military, it confirmed that “a set of services” to a unit within the Ministry of Defense had been “ceased and disabled.”

In a public blog post, Microsoft President Brad Smith said the decision was rooted in the company’s long-standing ethical standards: “First, we do not provide technology to facilitate mass surveillance of civilians. We have applied this principle in every country around the world, and we have insisted on it repeatedly for more than two decades.” He continued, “Second, we respect and protect the privacy rights of our customers.”

The company said that even though its broader legal review is still ongoing, early findings already supported aspects of the reporting by The Guardian, prompting immediate action.

As of now, Israel has not issued an official public response to Microsoft’s decision to terminate select cloud and AI services tied to its military surveillance program.