Posted on 08/20/2025 7:34:26 PM PDT by algore
What we know: The Redmond Police Department was dispatched to the Microsoft courtyard at approximately 12:15 p.m. in response to a large gathering of protesters. According to the police, officers first attempted to issue trespass orders to the protesters, but they became "aggressive" and resisted.
Protesters reportedly poured paint on the Microsoft sign and on the ground. Other demonstrators blocked a pedestrian bridge, creating a barrier with stolen tables and chairs from vendors. No injuries were reported.
Those arrested face multiple charges, including trespassing, malicious mischief, resisting arrest, and obstruction. The police department's investigation is ongoing. The Washington State Patrol, Bellevue Police, and Kirkland Police assisted Redmond officers during the incident.
Dig deeper: The protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations at the Microsoft campus organized by the employee-led group No Azure for Apartheid. The group has been protesting for months, demanding the company cut its business ties with the Israeli military.
The recent protests follow allegations reported by the British newspaper The Guardian that the Israeli Defense Forces used Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform to store phone call data obtained through the mass surveillance of Palestinians.
Microsoft announced on Aug. 15 that it is undertaking a formal review of the allegations. The company stated that its standard terms of service prohibit this type of usage.
"The Guardian’s recent report raises additional and precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review," the company said.
Microsoft has hired the law firm Covington & Burling LLP and an independent consulting firm to conduct the review. The company said it will share the findings with the public after the review is complete.
I guess they want to lose their entire Azure Government platform they were getting billions for from the military and others.
And Microsoft knows damn well the government doesn't share what it stores but it stores basically anything it wants without regard to Microsoft's woke policies. But if they want to try and stop them, they'll go elsewhere. Bezos might be happy to sell government cloud storage with no peeking at just what's being stored.
If the data was properly encrypted, Microsoft wouldn’t know the content to talk about it.
if microsoft lets a couple dozen trespassing disgruntled ex-employees dictate multi-billion dollar contracts, then microsoft will never see the end of these “protests” ...
Precisely. AFAIK the "GovCloud" part of Azure is for the US government and its contractors only, not any international use. So the Israeli government would have to use the commercial Azure, and of course they're going to encrypt the data before transmission with keys that only they (the Israelis) hold. Anything else would be stupid, and Israelis are not stupid.
Microsoft had better not fold under this protest, or else they're finished as a cloud service.
“GovCloud” part of Microsoft’s Azure is for the US government and its contractors only, not any international use. So the Israeli government would have to use the commercial Azure, perhaps illegally.
Microsoft announced on Aug. 15 that it is undertaking a formal review of the allegations. The company stated that its standard terms of service prohibit this type of usage.
<><>allegations reported by the British newspaper The Guardian
<><>that the Israeli Defense Forces used Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform
<><>and may have disguised its usage for suspect services
<><>storing phone call data obtained through the mass surveillance of Palestinians.
<><>suspected of encrypting the data before transmission with keys that only the Israelis hold.
Exactly.
They actually don’t know what data the Israeli Self Defense Forces have in Azure, but it’s Israel, right? So it has to be evil stuff abusing poor Palestinians. Or so the protesters believe. Divest!!!
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