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Microsoft is reportedly filtering internal emails containing terms such as “Palestine,” “Gaza,” and “genocide,” effectively blocking them from reaching recipients, according to No Azure for Apartheid, a group of pro-Palestinian employees. The alleged censorship began on Wednesday, shortly after Microsoft's Build developer conference was disrupted multiple times by activists protesting the company’s ties to the Israeli military, as per a Moneycontrol report.

According to the group, the filter appears to selectively target specific terms, while allowing words like “Israel” and even altered spellings such as “P4lestine” to bypass the block. Microsoft has not issued a public comment on the matter, states the report.

Tensions within the company have escalated in recent months over Microsoft’s reported collaborations with Israel’s Ministry of Defense. Investigations by Drop Site News, The Guardian, and +972 Magazine revealed that Microsoft pursued contracts with the Israeli military following the October 7 Hamas attack, offering tailored cloud and AI services at discounted rates. These deals reportedly positioned Israel’s defense sector among Microsoft's top 500 global clients.

'No Evidence'

Facing growing internal and external criticism, Microsoft released an internal review last week claiming it found “no evidence” that its technologies were used to harm civilians. However, the company has not denied the authenticity of leaked documents that appear to contradict that conclusion.

The unrest has spilled into public view. A Microsoft employee who interrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s keynote at the Build conference was fired earlier this week, while another was forcibly removed the next day after chanting “Free, free Palestine!” during a session led by the company’s head of CoreAI.

Meanwhile, the backlash against Microsoft stems from the broader geopolitical crisis in Gaza, where conflict reignited in October 2023 following a Hamas-led attack in Israel that left 1,200 people dead and resulted in hundreds being taken hostage. In response, Israeli military operations have reportedly killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

The war has displaced nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. While Israel states its strikes are aimed at Hamas fighters, growing international concern centers on the use of disproportionate force and alleged human rights violations. As major tech companies showcase rapid advances in artificial intelligence, critics are calling on them to confront how their technologies are being used in the context of armed conflict and global humanitarian crises.