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Microsoft Bans the Word “Palestine” in Internal Emails
- Waqas Ahmed and Murtaza Hussain, Drop Site News
- May 21
- 2 min read
After days of disruption by pro-Palestine activists at its Build developer conference, No Azure for Apartheid said, Microsoft made it impossible to send emails containing "Palestine" or "Gaza."
Microsoft has quietly implemented a policy blocking employee emails containing the words “Palestine,” “Gaza,” or “genocide” on its internal Exchange servers, according to No Azure for Apartheid, a group of pro-Palestine Microsoft employees. The automated filter, which silently prevents such emails from reaching recipients was first detected on Wednesday—just after Microsoft’s Build developer conference faced repeated disruptions by the activist group.
Microsoft has been rocked by internal dissent over its collaboration with the Israeli military and government amid the ongoing assault on Gaza. The company has faced disruptions to its events, including protests from employees over its provision of cloud services and other critical infrastructure used by the Israeli military.
Now, the company appears to be tightening its grip on internal discourse. The terms “Israel” and “P4lestine” do not trigger a block, the group said. Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last week, Microsoft attempted to do damage control over its alleged involvement in the genocide. Ahead of the annual Build event, which is aimed at developers and tech enthusiasts from all over the world, the company issued a report claiming that an internal investigation found that Microsoft’s operations did not cause harm to civilians in Gaza.
Microsoft’s provision of technology to the Israeli Ministry of Defense (MOD) was first reported by Drop Site News, alongside The Guardian and the magazine +972, based on a trove of internal documents. The reports revealed that Microsoft actively pursued contracts with the Israeli defense ministry, offering them tailored proposals and significant discounts on cloud and AI services. These deals, negotiated and escalated over months, positioned Microsoft as a key technology provider during Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Microsoft did not dispute the authenticity of the documents or the reporting, but days before its major annual events released a statement saying that it conducted an internal review and “found no evidence that Microsoft’s Azure and AI technologies, or any of our other software, have been used to harm people.”
According to internal documents and emails reviewed by Drop Site, however, just days after the October 7, 2023 attack and the start of Israeli offensive in Gaza, Microsoft started pitching to the Israeli military, anticipating major military spending. Over the next few months, Israeli military became one of Microsoft’s top 500 global customers.
On Monday, No Azure for Apartheid said, an employee who disrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s keynote at the flagship Build conference was fired. On Tuesday, during a speech by Jay Parikh, head of CoreAI, a worker shouted, “Jay! My people are suffering! Cut ties with Israel! No Azure for apartheid! Free, free Palestine!” before being swiftly removed by security.
(c) 2025, Drop Site News
A very thought-provoking read. The implications of censoring a country’s name go beyond just corporate policy – it touches on free expression and political sensitivity. It’s important that issues like this get public scrutiny. I’ll be following the updates on this topic closely.
Reanimal
This piece caught my attention immediately. It seems unbelievable that such a ban would exist, and if it does, it’s definitely problematic. The write-up provided some context, but I’m eager to know more from Microsoft’s side as well. Kudos to the Lemkin Institute for reporting on this. A Game About Feeding a Black Hole
If this is accurate, it’s quite concerning. Banning a word like “Palestine” in emails? That raises a lot of questions about internal policies and biases. I’m glad this article is bringing it to light. Companies should be transparent about these things – hoping Microsoft clarifies the situation soon. absolum game
Microsoft’s move to ban "Palestine" in emails draws heavy criticism online.SOra2
Banning "Palestine" in Microsoft’s internal emails sparks controversy globally. MIrage2