Microsoft Bans Emails Containing “Palestine”, “Gaza” After Employee Protests

Microsoft employees have realised that emails sent within or from the company account that contain words like “Gaza” and “Palestine” have been blocked after a series of proteststors interrupted the company’s flagship Build event on Tuesday. The disruption occurred when Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella took the stage at the event where chants like “Free Palestine” and calls for accountability from the company for its work with the Israeli government were made. 

The email restrictions were brought to light by the protest group “No Azure for Apartheid.” Microsoft had confirmed to The Verge that it had altered the email ecosystem within the company in some way that reduces the “politically focused emails.” 

The protest group has called the development as another step in Microsoft’s bid to censure and intimidate. 

Following the disruption at the Build event, one of the protestors named Joe Lopez was fired from the company. He had yelled during Nadella's keynote speech stating, “How about you show Israeli war crimes are powered by Azure?,” as reported by The Verge. Lopez had sent an email stating that his actions were driven by the company’s silence over previous protests pertaining to the company’s ties with the Israeli government. 

The protests have been triggered after Microsoft acknowledged its cloud and AI contracts with Israel. In addition to the acknowledgement, the company claimed that upon probing, it found no evidence that its software was being used to “target or harm people in Gaza.” Microsoft experienced similar protests during its 50th anniversary event last month.