Overview

• Microsoft terminated employees Anna Hattle and Riki Fameli for “serious breaches” tied to a break-in, a day after seven protesters were arrested during a sit-in inside Brad Smith’s office.
• Redmond police cited trespassing and obstruction, and Smith said the group blocked access and hid phones as crude listening devices as Building 34 was temporarily locked down.
• The protest was organized by No Azure for Apartheid, which has staged repeated actions and demands Microsoft cut ties with Israel and pay reparations to Palestinians.
• Microsoft hired Covington & Burling to review reporting that Unit 8200 stored Palestinians’ phone-call recordings on Azure, after a prior internal review found no evidence Azure or AI were used to target people in Gaza.
• Smith acknowledged a company security inquiry to the local FBI in April about potential protests and said most Microsoft work tied to the Israeli military focuses on cybersecurity.