Microsoft says found no evidence its tech was used to harm civilians in Gaza by Israel

Microsoft has said it has found no evidence that its Azure or AI technologies have been used to target or harm civilians in the Gaza conflict, following an internal and external review prompted by employee and public concerns.

In a public statement on Thursday, Microsoft disclosed that it conducted an internal review and hired an external firm to investigate media reports and employee allegations linking its technology to the Israeli military's actions in Gaza. 

The reviews, it said, involved examining internal documents and interviewing dozens of employees.

The revelation came days ahead of the company's flagship developer conference, Microsoft Build 2025, scheduled to take place from May 19 to May 22, at the Seattle Convention Center.

The investigation follows months of growing pressure from Microsoft staff, human rights advocates, and external groups who raised ethical questions over the company's contracts with the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD). 

Protesters alleged that Microsoft's Azure cloud platform and artificial intelligence tools might have been used to aid military operations, including surveillance and targeting in Gaza.

Microsoft asserted that it maintains a commercial relationship with the IMOD, providing such services as software, cloud computing via Azure, professional services, and language translation tools. 

The company stressed that all its customers, including the IMOD, are bound by Microsoft's Acceptable Use Policy and AI Code of Conduct, which prohibit uses that could harm individuals or violate laws.

Microsoft, however, did acknowledge providing "limited emergency support" to the Israeli government shortly after the October 7, 2023,

attacks to assist in hostage rescue efforts. The company said this support was tightly controlled, with some requests approved and others denied.

The tech giant also clarified that it does not supply military-grade or proprietary surveillance software, noting that such tools are typically developed by defense contractors or governments themselves. 

Microsoft also conceded it has no visibility into how customers use its on-premise software or into government cloud systems operated by other vendors.

Azure, Microsoft’s flagship cloud platform, enables customers to store data, run applications, and deploy AI tools through Microsoft’s global network of data centres.