Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its tech in mass surveillance of Palestinians

theguardian.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

261–270 of 894 posts

Re: Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its tech in mass surveillance of Palestinians

#261

Post by ribosometronome »

FuriouslyAdrift wrote: post #220
DSingularity wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Israel claims that they “don’t want to kill civilians” but historically have not substantially changed course when the killings became grotesquely excessive. It’s also arguably true that they have never even sincerely investigated any issues. Israel just gets more aggressive in the murder and bombing.

[flagged]

Their source for deaths in Gaza is "CNN via IDF" but reading that article, it's actually an interview re: a specifically unconfirmed report from another news agency. Mixing that with data produced with very specific methodology, like they've done with the NIH data they're also using, seems like a bit of a faux pas.

Reent, published, actual figures (instead of ambiguously attributed early ones) show that they'd be up at the top end of the graph they've produced, not the bottom. https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2025/aug/21...

Re: Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its tech in mass surveillance of Palestinians

#262

Post by duxup »

n1b0m wrote: post #122
politelemon wrote: post #93

I am seeing several kneejerk "Microsoft bad" reactions here, which HNers don't do for many other companies. I encourage many of you to read what is written. They listened to their internal staff and stakeholders and public pressure, and did terminated the contract instead of ignoring it or doubling down. That is a good thing.

They fired staff who protested against the firm’s ties to the IDF.

I think how you protest matters.

I can agree with protestors, also think their choices are bad.

Re: Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its tech in mass surveillance of Palestinians

#263

Post by thewebguyd »

lo_zamoyski wrote: post #230
sugarpimpdorsey wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a funny way to say "they fired staff that vandalized company property, broke into the CEO's office, and used an internal company website to publish and promote anti-company propaganda". That will get you fired from bussing tables or washing dishes, let alone a six-figure job at MS. Edit: Source on the last one; the first two were widely reported on in media: https://lunduke.substack.com/p/fired-microsoft-emplo…

Some people seem to think rioting and vandalism are acceptable behaviors. It's important that people engaging in such activity are dealt with swiftly and justly. Such behavior further encourages violence and destruction as acceptable behaviors in society, which they are not.

Rioting and vandalism are unacceptable...until they aren't and are instead necessary.

Is everyone so quick to forget that the rights we have today in the US were won through violence after all other methods failed? The 40 hour work week we enjoy today was also won through blood.

Now, in this case between employees and Microsoft I'd agree, no, vandalism wasn't necessary at all.

But when it comes to defending our rights and freedoms, there will come a day when its absolutely necessary, and it's just as valid of a tool as peaceful protest is in enforcing the constitution.

Re: Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its tech in mass surveillance of Palestinians

#264

Post by colpabar »

t-writescode wrote: post #224
nashashmi wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Guardian last month reported a meeting between Microsoft CEO and Unit 8200. That means this comes from high level and they did not cancel because of protestors but because of media publicity.

Did the protestors help the media publicity?

I really wonder if a company like microsoft has any real concern over people tweeting negative things about it. It seems like companies are finally realizing a lot of it can just be ignored, but with microsoft specifically, what’s the risk? Who in a position to deny ms enough money that they’d care or even notice is going to decide to do it based on people protesting?

Re: Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its tech in mass surveillance of Palestinians

#265

Post by paxys »

nailer wrote: post #245
lupusreal wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right of return for all Palestinians and their descendants, worldwide.

Also for the 850K middle eastern Jews that were kicked out of their countries by arabs?

[flagged]

Re: Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its tech in mass surveillance of Palestinians

#266

Post by bArray »

flumpcakes wrote: post #214
roughly wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I believe it also to be true that the IDF do not want to kill civilians, and that their target is only Hamas. I think it’s this second assertion that relies on facts not in evidence. Previous Guardian reporting on IDF use of compute for targeting indicated they were using it to increase, not decrease, the number of approved targets.

Quantity doesn't correlate with accuracy. OP's point was that surely having more intelligence means you are more accurate and thus less collateral damage.

Exactly. And an increase in accurate targets would lead to the faster removal of Hamas, and the process of repair can begin faster.

Re: Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its tech in mass surveillance of Palestinians

#267

Post by covercash »

zamadatix wrote: post #154
covercash wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Weird, pretty sure employees brought this to their attention a few times already… https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-azure-gaza-palestine-is... https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-azure-gaza-israel-prote... https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-build-israel-gaza-prote... https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-protest-employees-fired...

Can anyone help clean up these sources/verify? The first one seems to be after Microsoft's claim "and Microsoft has said it is reviewing a report in a British newspaper this month that Israel has used it to facilitate attacks on Palestinian targets". The second one looks similar "Microsoft late last week said it was tapping a law firm to investigate allegations reported by British newspaper The Guardian". The 3rd one…

> Perhaps the more confounding question remaining is "what was so different about the report from The Guardian".

I think timing. The world is finally ready to stop ignoring what Israel has been doing so it’s significantly easier for countries, companies, and even individuals to stand up, speak out, and take action.

Re: Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its tech in mass surveillance of Palestinians

#268

Post by skinkestek »

RajT88 wrote: post #240
dotancohen wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But isn't that what Hamas did? Broke into homes and burned babies to death? Beheaded people? Pulled fetuses from pregnant women? Shoot up clinics and murder the entire staff and patients?

Taking your post at face value (which nobody should), the argument would be to punish Hamas, and not run around shooting children in the head, or setting up snipers near hospitals or UN Aid stations - both things which are confirmed by foreign doctors and aid workers.

> Taking your post at face value (which nobody should),

The crimes of Hamas are well documented, not only by Israel who admittedly might have some bias, but also by several in the OSINT community before Hamas realized their mistake and started deleting.

You questioning it only tells us you don't know much about what happened.

> the argument would be to punish Hamas, and not run around shooting children in the head,

Exactly like we dealt with the nazis and not a single child was hurt, right?

Or maybe take "war 101" and "war 201" and learn a thing or two about both why the laws of war explicitly bans using civilians as shields and also explicitly point out that human shields can be ignored. (Yes, it does. Feel free to look it up, and as homework, consider why the laws of war points this out ao explicitly. Here is a link, I don't expect you to have tje laws of war bookmarked: https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/api-1977/arti...)

Re: Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its tech in mass surveillance of Palestinians

#269

Post by duxup »

nashashmi wrote: post #148
sugarpimpdorsey wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a funny way to say "they fired staff that vandalized company property, broke into the CEO's office, and used an internal company website to publish and promote anti-company propaganda". That will get you fired from bussing tables or washing dishes, let alone a six-figure job at MS. Edit: Source on the last one; the first two were widely reported on in media: https://lunduke.substack.com/p/fired-microsoft-emplo…

One protestor was fired after interrupting a CEO's speech.

I feel like interrupting a CEO's speech at a big conference is pretty well understood to be a social indicator of a high level of insubordination. I suspect the protestor knew that too.

The consequences were appropriate, even if I might share some of the protestor's concerns.

Re: Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its tech in mass surveillance of Palestinians

#270

Post by skinkestek »

buellerbueller wrote: post #217
dotancohen wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But isn't that what Hamas did? Broke into homes and burned babies to death? Beheaded people? Pulled fetuses from pregnant women? Shoot up clinics and murder the entire staff and patients?

Hamas is a terrorist organization. IDF is a state-sponsored military force. I expect those two categories to behave differently from one another. Do you?

Obviously.

And that is also what we see.

When did IDF try to outdo the rape of Nanking?

When did Hamas follow the laws of war ever so slightly?

Post reply on HN