Microsoft Accused of Censoring Pro-Palestinian Terms in Internal Emails
Microsoft reportedly filters pro-Palestinian words in emails, sparking backlashfrom employees and artists over its ties to Israel.
Microsoft is under fire from within its own ranks as reports emerge that thetech giant is filtering internal emails containing terms such as"Palestine," "Gaza," and "genocide." Thecontroversy comes amid growing criticism of the company's alleged ties to theIsraeli military, with employees and public figures voicing concerns over whatthey see as complicity in human rights violations.
The censorship claims were brought forward by No Azure for Apartheid,a coalition of pro-Palestinian Microsoft employees. According to the group,Microsoft began filtering these terms shortly after its flagship developerevent, Microsoft Build 2025, was disrupted by an engineerprotesting the company’s involvement with Israel.
While the system reportedly blocks words like "Palestine,"variations such as "P4lestine" or "Israel" seem to bypassthe filter, suggesting that the block is targeted. Employees argue this movestifles internal dissent and prevents meaningful dialogue within the company.
In response to the criticism, Microsoft stated in a recent blog post that thereis “no evidence” its technology is being used to harmcivilians in Gaza. However, this assurance has done little to calm the growingunrest.
Brian Eno Joins the Chorus of Critics
Public outrage over Microsoft’s actions has now extended beyond its workforce.Celebrated musician and artist Brian Eno, known for composingthe startup chime for Windows 95, voiced his disapproval in a recent Instagrampost.
“I gladly took on the [Windows 95] project as a creative challenge andenjoyed the interaction with my contacts at the company,” Eno wrote. “I neverwould have believed that the same company could one day be implicated in themachinery of oppression and war.”
Eno demanded that Microsoft “suspend all services that support anyoperations that contribute to violations of international law.” He wasespecially critical of the company's contracts with Israel’s Ministry ofDefense, accusing it of enabling “surveillance, violence, and destruction inPalestine.”
Employee Protests Continue to Escalate
The backlash is not confined to social media. Microsoft employees havestaged several high-profile protests over the past few months. During CEO SatyaNadella’s keynote speech at Build 2025, Azure engineer JoeLopez interrupted the event, shouting:
“Satya, how about you show how Microsoft is killing Palestinians?”
Lopez was swiftly removed by security, but he later expanded on his views inan internal email shared on Medium.
“I can no longer stand by in silence as Microsoft continues to facilitateIsrael’s ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people,” he wrote.
Lopez claimed to have seen internal documents indicating Microsoft beganpitching services to the Israeli military shortly after the October 7, 2023attacks.
“Microsoft openly admitted to allowing the Israel Ministry of Defence‘special access to our technologies beyond the terms of our commercialagreements,’” he added. “Do you really believe that this ‘special access’ wasallowed only once?”
Despite Microsoft’s blog post asserting that a third-party review found “noevidence” of its technology being used to harm civilians, Lopezdismissed the audit as “non-transparent” and partiallyconducted by Microsoft itself.
“We don’t need an internal audit to know that a top Azure customer iscommitting crimes against humanity,” he argued. “We see it live on the internetevery day.”
More Voices from Inside
Lopez is not alone in challenging the company. Just last month, U.S.-basedemployee Vaniya Agrawal disrupted Microsoft’s 50th-anniversarycelebration, confronting leadership including Nadella, Steve Ballmer, and BillGates. In a public letter, she condemned Microsoft’s role in supportingIsrael’s technological infrastructure, saying:
“It is undeniable that Microsoft’s Azure cloud offerings and AI developmentsform the technological backbone of Israel’s automated apartheid and genocidesystems.”
Another engineer, Ibtihal Aboussad, made headlines aftershe interrupted a Microsoft AI event to confront AI CEO MustafaSuleyman with a blunt message:
“Mustafa, shame on you.”
A Tense Road Ahead
Microsoft’s handling of internal dissent and its reported censorshippractices are drawing increasing scrutiny. With its own employees and prominentpublic figures calling for accountability, the company is now caught in agrowing storm over corporate ethics, technology’s role in conflict, and theboundaries of free speech in the workplace.
While Microsoft has attempted to reassure its workforce and the public, itsnext steps—particularly in how it handles employee concerns and transparencyaround international contracts—will likely define its reputation in thisrapidly unfolding controversy.
