Microsoft Blocks Emails Containing Keywords Like “Palestine,” “Gaza,” and “Genocide”

Microsoft temporarily blocked emails containing the words “Palestine” or “Gaza” after employee protests at the Microsoft Build event, where staff opposed the company’s AI and cloud contracts with the Israeli military. The protest group No Azure for Apartheid (NOAA) revealed that employees were unable to send emails with terms like “Palestine,” “Gaza,” and “Genocide.” Leaked documents suggested Microsoft’s Azure cloud services were used by Israel for surveillance and military targeting of Palestinians. Microsoft responded that, despite their contracts, a review found no conclusive evidence their technology was used to harm Gazans.