A report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) revealed that the technology giant Microsoft closed the email accounts of Palestinians and banned others from the Skype service under the pretext that they violated the rules of use, without providing details about the nature of the alleged violations.
Email Service Suspension Without Prior Notification
The BBC quoted two Palestinians saying that they lost access to their Microsoft-hosted emails, which they had been using for nearly two decades, without warning, as well as all related services, including financial and work-related services.
Skype Suspension Cuts off Palestinians’ Communication With Their Families in Gaza
Since October 7, Microsoft has deprived Palestinians residing abroad of communication with their families trapped in the Gaza Strip under bombardment by cutting off Skype services. According to the BBC, during the war, Skype became an alternative to expensive international calls that frequent Internet outages forced Palestinians to rely on to check on their relatives. Subscribing to Skype allows for low-cost phone calls with residents inside Gaza, increasing Palestinians’ dependence on the service.
Microsoft’s Brief Response
The Palestinians who spoke to the BBC expressed doubts that suspicion of their ties to Hamas was the reason behind their ban from Microsoft services. One of them confirmed they were civilians with no political background, simply wanting to check on their families. Two others stated they were banned without a clear reason. One of them tried to inquire about the ban's reason but received no response from Microsoft.
The company did not respond to the BBC's inquiry about whether the ban was due to suspicion of the users’ connection to Hamas. A company spokesperson only mentioned that the ban was not related to the geographical location of the contacts and suggested it could be due to suspicion of fraudulent activity.
Microsoft’s Stance on the Gaza War
After Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, which targeted Gaza Strip settlements, Microsoft issued several statements expressing its support for Israel. The company pledged to match its employees’ donations to Israeli organizations, including the ‘Friends of the Israel Defense Forces’ organization. Additionally, it granted $3,000 to each of its 3,000 Israeli employees to cover unexpected expenses arising from the situation.
But internally, Microsoft's moves have only served to further inflame tensions. The company is facing escalating disagreements among its employees over the legality of Israel's ongoing ten-month war against Gaza.
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