Microsoft employees have discovered that emails with words like “Palestine” and “Gaza” are being blocked, following protests against the company’s ties to the Israeli government. The protest group “No Azure for Apartheid” claims Microsoft is censoring dissent and retaliating against critics.
The issue began after a series of protesters disrupted the company’s Build event to oppose its contracts with Israel. One protester, Joe Lopez, was fired after sending an email to employees criticizing the CEO’s response to protests.
Microsoft has confirmed that it implemented changes to reduce “politically focused emails” within the company but did not comment on the specific blockage of certain words.
The protest group criticized this move as part of a broader “censorship culture” and called it “intimidation, retaliation, repression.” Microsoft faces similar protests over its ties to Israel, with ex-employees disrupting events last month and dismissing two employees who organized a vigil for Palestinians killed in Gaza.
Microsoft has denied using its technology to harm Palestinian civilians in Gaza but the company published an internal review that found no evidence of this being the case. The protesters rejected this review, citing its limited scope.
The incident highlights tensions within the company over its ties to Israel and its handling of protests against these ties.
Source: https://fortune.com/2025/05/22/microsoft-blocks-emails-palestine-gaza-protests