Worker Coalition Calls for Microsoft to Dissociate from ICE
A worker-led organization, No Azure for Apartheid, renowned for its advocacy against Microsoft’s collaborations with the Israeli military and its Gaza operations, has released a compelling statement urging the tech giant to terminate its affiliation with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
This latest declaration follows investigative reports from prominent outlets such as The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call.
These reports highlighted an alarming expansion in ICE’s data storage on Microsoft’s Azure servers, which tripled to an astonishing 1,400 terabytes from July 2025 to January 2026. Moreover, it appears ICE is leveraging Microsoft’s AI capabilities for data analysis and search tasks.
Microsoft has resolutely denied any misconduct, asserting that its terms of service explicitly prohibit the application of its technology for mass civilian surveillance. The company stated, “We do not believe ICE is engaged in such activity.”
ICE’s Funding and Technological Investments
Presently, ICE stands as the most heavily funded law enforcement agency in the United States, affording it substantial resources to acquire advanced technologies from various companies, including Microsoft, Amazon, and Palantir, which together have garnered millions in ICE contracts.
Cloud storage constitutes a significant portion of this expenditure. Although the leaked documents from The Guardian and +972 Magazine do not detail the exact nature of ICE’s data, they reveal the agency’s utilization of Azure’s “blob storage” for extensive raw data storage.
Additionally, AI tools capable of image and video analysis as well as text translation have also been employed.
Condemnation from Advocacy Groups
In its statement, No Azure for Apartheid articulated, “This news should come as no surprise to the public. Microsoft consistently operates as a digital arms dealer, constructing and facilitating systems that terrorize and surveil populations across the globe: from the AI and surveillance technologies inflicted upon Palestinians in the occupied territories to tools directed against civilians and migrant communities on appropriated Indigenous land in the United States.”
Microsoft informed No Azure for Apartheid that it does not concede that ICE engages in “mass surveillance of citizens” and claimed it possesses “no visibility over the kind of data ICE is storing on Azure.”
This assertion mirrors a statement made by Microsoft in May 2025 concerning the Israel Ministry of Defense’s use of Azure services, wherein the company remarked it lacked transparency into customer operations on personal servers or the Israel Ministry of Defense’s cloud integrations.
Ongoing Advocacy for Corporate Accountability
Subsequent inquiries revealed intricate details about Microsoft’s association with the Israeli military. In response, Microsoft President Brad Smith acknowledged the company’s findings that corroborate certain elements of these reports, leading to the suspension of some services utilized by the Israeli military.
No Azure for Apartheid emphasized, “The same Microsoft Cloud and AI technology underpinning Israel’s oppressive regime is also propelling ICE’s violent actions against migrants in the United States.”
The statement further echoed solidarity with both Palestinians and U.S. communities adversely affected by ICE’s policies.
Additionally, a collective of “tech industry professionals within the U.S.” has initiated a petition at ICEout.tech seeking the cessation of ICE’s operations nationwide and the annulment of existing contracts with the agency.
In a statement to PC Gamer, a Microsoft representative conveyed, “Microsoft offers cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools to DHS and ICE through our key partners. Our policies and terms of service preclude the utilization of our technology for mass civilian surveillance. We do not believe ICE is involved in such practices.”
Moreover, the spokesperson reflected on broader public concerns regarding immigration enforcement, suggesting that Congress, the Executive Branch, and the judiciary possess the capacity to delineate clear legal boundaries on the permissible use of emergent technologies by law enforcement entities.
Source link: Pcgamer.com.
