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Leaked Documents Show Palestinian Call Recordings Stored on Microsoft Azure in Europe

The disclosures contradict the company’s denial of civilian surveillance on Azure servers in Europe, fueling demands for publication of its commissioned external review.

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Overview

  • Internal Microsoft files reveal that millions of intercepted Palestinian phone calls have been held primarily on Azure servers in the Netherlands and Ireland.
  • The surveillance system was deployed in 2022 after CEO Satya Nadella met Unit 8200 commander Yossi Sariel in late 2021 to approve a segregated Azure environment.
  • Sources say intelligence drawn from the stored calls has guided IDF airstrike planning and operations across Gaza and the West Bank.
  • Microsoft maintains it was unaware its cloud services were used for civilian surveillance and cites an external review that found no evidence of harm.
  • Human rights groups and Microsoft employees have renewed calls for the company to release the full external review and clarify its role in the surveillance program.