Microsoft Israel head ousted reportedly over IDF’s controversial use of cloud tech |
Microsoft’s Israel general manager Alon Haimovich will be stepping down, following the findings of an internal review into the alleged unethical use of the US tech giant’s Azure cloud platform by Israel’s military, according to a report by Israeli financial daily Globes.
Microsoft announced Haimovich’s departure last week but gave no reason.
The move comes after Microsoft last year initiated a review of its dealings with the Military Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 8200 in response to a report by the UK’s Guardian and the far-left activist outlet 972 Magazine. The report claimed that Azure software was used to store countless recordings of mobile phone calls made by Palestinians living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
In September, Microsoft cut some of the Israeli army’s access to certain cloud services over the use of its Azure cloud platform for expansive surveillance of Palestinians, and alleged violation of the company’s terms of service.
Haimovich, who is leaving after four years in the position, was reportedly summoned in recent weeks by an investigative team led by Microsoft’s global management, according to Globes. The investigation is said to have centered around violations of Microsoft’s code of ethics amid concerns that the company’s Israel subsidiary was not fully transparent with global headquarters about how the........