Microsoft banned the word “Palestine” in internal emails

WASHINGTON: Microsoft’s pro-Palestinian employee group, No Azure for Apartheid, has claimed that the company has quietly implemented a new policy on its internal Exchange servers. The policy blocks employee emails that contain the words “Palestine,” “Gaza,” or “genocide.”

The automated filter, which allegedly prevents such emails from reaching recipients without notice, was first spotted on Wednesday.

Microsoft has recently faced significant internal unrest due to its cooperation with the Israeli military and government during the ongoing offensive on Gaza. The company has seen its events halted due to employee protests over the provision of cloud services and other critical infrastructure used by the Israeli military.

Now, it appears that the tech giant is tightening its control over internal communications. According to the employee group, the terms “Israel” and “P4lestine” do not trigger this blocking mechanism. Microsoft has not yet responded to requests for comment on these claims.

Last week, Microsoft moved to address the fallout from its alleged role in the Gaza conflict. Ahead of its annual Build event, a global conference for developers and tech enthusiasts, the company released a report. The report said an internal investigation found that Microsoft’s actions did not harm civilians in Gaza.

Microsoft’s provision of technology to the Israeli Ministry of Defense (MOD) was first reported by Dropsight News, The Guardian and +972 Magazine. The reports were based on a collection of internal documents. They showed that Microsoft actively pursued deals with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, offering them special offers and large discounts on cloud and AI services.

The deals ran for months and grew, making Microsoft a key technology provider during Israeli military operations in Gaza.