Human Rights Organizations Call for Accountability and Transparency

Human Rights Organizations Call for Accountability and Transparency:

Microsoft’s Role in Facilitating Human Rights Violations Against Palestinians

7amleh, in partnership with Access Now, Amnesty International, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Fight for the Future, and Human Rights Watch sent a letter to Microsoft on September 26th, 2025 calling for accountability and transparency. The letter expresses grave concern for recent reporting regarding Microsoft’s role in facilitating Palestinian human rights violations via services provided to the Israeli military. 

Reporting in The Guardian and +972 Magazine showed that Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing and AI services were being used by the Israeli intelligence Unit 8200 to host the digital infrastructure for a mass surveillance apparatus, which contributed to AI-driven targeting systems against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, potentially facilitating war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide. 

Based on these reports, the letter states the Microsoft’s obligations under the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other normative business and human rights frameworks are quite clear: 

Microsoft must suspend all of its business activities and terminate relationships with the Israeli military and other government bodies where there is evidence that such business activities are contributing to grave human rights abuses and international war crimes. 

The letter goes on to further demand that Microsoft Executives provide more clarity and transparency around what actions the company has taken, as well as plan to take. Notably, human rights leaders demand assurances that Microsoft publish the full findings of their internal investigation, as well as share what actions Microsoft is planning on taking to serve as a remedy to past harms and how they will assure prevention of future harms.

Microsoft was originally given until October 10, 2025 to respond to the letter’s questions and clarify the steps it will take to prevent further human rights violations and uphold its own human rights commitments. However, Microsoft is expected to send its written response by the end of the month. Access Now will publish their response once received.