Microsoft disables services to Israel defense unit after review

Microsoft on Thursday said it disabled a set of cloud and AI services used by a unit within the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) after an internal review found preliminary evidence supporting media reports of a surveillance system in Gaza and West Bank.

Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, said the company opened the review after an August article by the Guardian alleged activity by a unit of the Israel Defense Forces.

The Guardian reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was using Microsoft’s Azure for collecting and storing data on phone calls…