Protests at Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington headquarters erupted anew on October 9, 2025, as employees and activists demanded the tech giant sever all business ties with Israel, despite the company’s recent move to restrict some cloud services for the Israeli military. The demonstration, marked by banners declaring “MICROSOFT BUILD KILLS” and depicting warplanes and missiles dropping from the Azure cloud logo, underscored the depth of internal dissent and public scrutiny facing Microsoft amid ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The latest wave of activism was catalyzed by the resignation of Scott Sutfin-Glowski, a principal software engineer who had worked at Microsoft for 13 years. In a mass email sent to thousands of colleagues, Sutfin-Glowski protested the company’s continued cloud services contracts with the Israeli military, writing, “I can no longer accept enabling what may be the worst atrocities of our time.” According to Business Insider and Arab News, his resignation was not an isolated act but the latest escalation in months of internal turmoil, as Microsoft employees have increasingly voiced objections to the company’s role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Microsoft has faced mounting criticism for its business dealings with Israel’s military, particularly after an August 2025 Guardian investigation revealed that Israel Defense Forces’ Unit 8200 had used Microsoft’s Azure platform to track up to a million phone calls per hour from Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The expose triggered a wave of protests, both inside and outside the company, and led Microsoft to announce in September 2025 that it would halt certain Azure cloud and artificial intelligence services for Unit 8200. Microsoft President Brad Smith confirmed the move, stating that the company found “evidence that supports elements of The Guardian’s reporting” and had blocked cloud storage and AI services to the unit.
Yet, for many employees and activists, the measure was too little, too late. The group “No Azure for Apartheid,” which includes current and former Microsoft staff, described the partial suspension as “a significant and unprecedented win” but insisted it was “insufficient,” demanding a complete termination of all Azure contracts with the Israeli government and military. As Arab News reported, the group’s campaign has continued unabated, with protesters gathering at what they dubbed the “Martyred Palestinian Children’s Plaza” outside Microsoft’s East Campus, distributing flyers that called for transparency, an independent audit of Microsoft’s Israeli contracts, and protections for Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim employees.
“Even after announcing the Unit 8200 cut, why does Microsoft continue to shut down the conversation? It’s the only way they can continue to get away with their half-measure,” Sutfin-Glowski said, accusing the company of “continued complicity in genocide.” The group’s demands go further, urging Microsoft to support Amazon workers who are resisting the transfer of surveillance data from Azure to Amazon Web Services, and to ensure all contracts are investigated in line with the Geneva Conventions.
Despite the company’s crackdown on dissent—including the firing of five employees over Gaza-related demonstrations, four of whom occupied President Brad Smith’s office in August—protests have only intensified. Over 1,500 Microsoft employees have signed petitions calling for the company to endorse a ceasefire, and the sense among many is that official communication channels for raising concerns have been systematically closed. Riki Fameli, a former Azure Storage engineer fired for participating in protests, told Business Insider that “proper channels are dead ends” for employees seeking to challenge company policies.
Microsoft’s leadership has responded with a mix of limited concessions and stern warnings. At an internal meeting, Brad Smith defended the firing of the four workers who occupied his office, telling staff, “Anybody who is smart enough to get a job at Microsoft is smart enough to know that you don’t get to storm in and break into buildings and occupy other people’s offices and keep your job at Microsoft.” The company has thus far declined to comment publicly on Sutfin-Glowski’s resignation or the ongoing demonstrations.
While Microsoft’s action against Unit 8200 was hailed as a milestone by some activists, its practical impact appears limited. An Israeli security official told CNN there was “no damage to the operational capabilities of the IDF,” as Unit 8200 rapidly moved its data trove from Microsoft’s Dutch servers to Amazon Web Services after the investigation’s publication. Intelligence sources confirmed to The Guardian that the transition took place within days, suggesting that the core of Israel’s surveillance operations remains largely unaffected by Microsoft’s partial withdrawal.
Sutfin-Glowski’s resignation letter referenced a February 2025 Associated Press report indicating that Israel’s military maintains at least 635 Microsoft subscriptions, with the vast majority still active. This, activists argue, highlights the limited scope of Microsoft’s response and the ongoing nature of its business relationship with Israeli authorities. The “No Azure for Apartheid” group has vowed to continue organizing until all their demands are met, signaling that the internal pressure campaign is far from over.
The protests and resignations come at a pivotal moment, coinciding with the implementation of a ceasefire in Gaza after two years of conflict. The truce, brokered by US President Donald Trump’s administration, is expected to lead to the release of hostages and prisoners, but observers caution that major risks and unresolved issues remain. The broader context of the war, including allegations of widespread surveillance and civilian casualties, continues to fuel debate about the ethical responsibilities of global technology firms.
As the dust settles on Microsoft’s Redmond campus, one thing is clear: the company’s handling of its Israeli military contracts has become a lightning rod for a larger conversation about corporate accountability, employee activism, and the role of technology in modern conflict. With sustained pressure from within and without, Microsoft faces difficult choices about its future engagement in politically fraught regions—and the world is watching closely to see what it will do next.