Today in Focus How Israel used Microsoft technology to spy on Palestinians
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Aug 14, 2025 Harry Davies, Investigations correspondent at The Guardian, delves into the clandestine discussions between Yossi Sariel and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella about using Microsoft's cloud for surveillance of Palestinians. The conversation spans Israel's Unit 8200's controversial data collection practices, ethical dilemmas, and accountability issues in military operations. Davies highlights the ongoing tension between technology and civil rights, showcasing the profound implications of using tech giants for military intelligence and the ensuing protests against this partnership.
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Senior-Level Commitments
- Microsoft executives discussed and committed support for migrating up to 70% of Unit 8200's data to Azure.
- The company later claimed senior staff did not know intercepted Palestinian communications would be stored there, despite awareness of sensitive intelligence material.
Business Motives Behind The Deal
- Microsoft expected hundreds of millions of dollars from the partnership and framed it as a 'powerful brand moment.'
- Executives also saw technical learning and marketing value from close work with a reputed cyber unit.
Infrastructure Shapes Surveillance
- Israel controls Palestinian telecoms, keeping Gaza on 2G and West Bank on 3G, making cellular calls easier to intercept.
- That infrastructure control simplified Unit 8200's large-scale collection of voice calls over messaging apps.
