Microsoft’s Exec Addresses Protests Over Ties to Israeli Military

Microsoft President Brad Smith Had A Blunt Message for Employees Who Joined Gaza-Relay Protests Inside His Office: You don’t get to keep your job.

At an internal Meeting on Thursday, Smith Defended the Firings and Said the Company Hired Law Firm Covington & Burling to Reviews Allegations that Technology Has Been Misused for Surveillance of Palestinians.

The Company has faced apeated and escalating protests calling for the company to cut ties with the Israeli military amids offensive in gases. In late august, several proters Broke into and Occupied Smith’s Office for A Sit. Microsoft THEN FIRED FOUR EPLOYEES Who Participated in Protests Occupying Smith’s Office and at the Company’s Campus.

“Let me say this, anybody who is smart enough to get a non -microsoft is smart enough to know that you don’t get to storm in and break into budildings and occupy Other People’s offices and kept at Microsoft,” Smith Said, reference Company Fired Following Those Protests.

The Protests “didn’t just protest,” Smith Said, as they are trespasssed on private property and barricaded themes with supply that belonged to Microsoft.

Riki Fameli, A Microsoft Software Engineer who worked on azure storage, was one of the Employes Fired after participating in the protest at Smith’s Office.

Fameli Told Business Insider That Smith’s Comments SEEMED TO DEFINE PROTEST NARROWLY AS Something Company Leadership Can Easily Ignore.

“They Always try to direct us to ussing the proper channels,” Fameli Said, “what we’ve found over the past year is that the proper channels are dead ends.”

During the Meeting, Smith TRIED to reassure employs that the company is focused on Upholding Human Rights and Contract Terms in Gaza while Also Protecting Employe Safety, Acciting to COMments by Business Insider.

Smith Told Employees that the Company is revolutionwing allegations it serves its used for mass surveillance of Palestinians and working on new processes for reports if they bellies customers are Microsoft Technology.

Smith Reference to an Aug. 6 Story in The Guardian alleging that a unit in the Israeli defense force relied on Microsoft’s azure cloud for expansive surveillance of Palestinians.

“That Story Provided New Information to Those of US at Microsoft, information that we did not have before,” Smith Said. He also said that the company doesn’t allow it customers to use its service for mass surveillance of civilians.

The new reporting processs on which Microsoft is working, Smith Said, are intended to make it easier for “a microsoft employs to report Concerns about the misuse of our technology by a customer if they belle. WorkPlace or Potential Violation of Our Standards of Business Conduct. ”

Smith Also Said the Company is “Double Down on Internal Dialogue” With Employe Groups Like Jews at Microsoft, and Palestinians and Allies at Microsoft.

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