US tech giant accused of silencing free speech
Microsoft is reportedly under fire from employees following claims that its internal email system blocks messages containing terms such as 'Gaza,' 'Palestine,' and 'Genocide.' The restrictions, reported by The Verge, have sparked accusations of censorship and discrimination, particularly amid mounting criticism of the company's ties to Israel.
The claims come from No Azure for Apartheid (NOAA), a protest group of current and former Microsoft workers. The group says 'dozens of employees' have been unable to send emails internally or externally if these words appear in subject lines or message bodies.
In contrast, words such as 'Israel' or alternate spellings like 'P4lestine' are reportedly not filtered. 'This is an attempt to silence worker free speech,' said NOAA organizer Hossam Nasr, who accused Microsoft's leadership of discriminating against Palestinian employees and their supporters.
Microsoft confirmed that it had made email-related changes aimed at reducing internal political messaging. A company spokesperson said the measures were taken to limit mass political emails, noting that 'emailing large numbers of employees about non-work topics is not appropriate' and that such communication should go through opt-in forums.
The controversy comes amid ongoing protests over Microsoft's cloud and AI contracts with Israel, which media reports say support military operations in Gaza. While the US company has acknowledged working with the Israeli government, it claimed in a May 16 statement that 'no evidence' has emerged showing its tools have been used to cause harm—though it also admitted it lacks visibility into how its software is deployed on private systems.
The internal dissent has played out publicly in recent weeks. At the Microsoft Build developer conference, employee Joe Lopez interrupted CEO Satya Nadella's keynote speech, accusing the company of enabling war crimes. Lopez was later fired after sending a mass email to thousands of staff members calling for action.
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