Microsoft filters emails containing words Palestine, Gaza: Report

Washington: Microsoft is facing criticism from employees and activists after reports emerged that the company is blocking internal emails containing words like “Palestine,” “Gaza,” and “genocide.” The restrictions were highlighted by employee group No Azure for Apartheid (NOAA), which said messages about the humanitarian situation in Gaza were being filtered.

According to NOAA, Microsoft’s filtering tools are preventing communication around issues linked to its Azure cloud services being used by Israeli government entities. “People are trying to raise their voices about what’s happening in Gaza, and they’re being silenced,” the group wrote on social media.

In response to inquiries, Microsoft confirmed that it had introduced measures to reduce mass emails of a political nature. A company spokesperson told Quartz, “Sending unsolicited email to large numbers of employees at work is not appropriate. We have an established forum for employees who opt in to engage on a variety of issues.”

Some employees have questioned the consistency of the policy, pointing out that messages related to Ukraine and diversity initiatives were previously allowed without interference.

The issue escalated during the Microsoft Build conference, where several employees interrupted presentations to protest company policies. One protester, Joe Lopez, was fired after interrupting CEO Satya Nadella’s keynote and distributing a company-wide email. In the message, Lopez said he acted out of frustration over leadership’s “silence” and accused Microsoft of misleading staff about how its tools are being used.

Over 1,500 employees have signed a letter calling for an end to Microsoft’s contracts with Israeli defence agencies.