The global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement is urging individuals to cancel their Game Pass subscriptions, steer clear of Microsoft-owned video game properties like Minecraft and Call Of Duty, and boycott all Microsoft Gaming and Xbox-branded products in protest of the company’s reported business ties with the Israeli military.
This call comes in the wake of allegations made in January regarding the Israeli military’s utilization of Microsoft’s Azure cloud technology and artificial intelligence products during their bombardment and invasion of Gaza.
A collaborative investigation by the Guardian, Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine, and Hebrew-language outlet Local Call, with additional input from Drop Site News, reveals that Microsoft has strengthened their relationship with Israel’s defense establishment since October 7, 2023. This development followed a deadly attack by Palestinian militant groups, prompting Israel to launch a ground offensive and airstrikes resulting in extensive destruction and loss of life in Gaza.
The Guardian’s report from January 2025 alleges that Microsoft provided storage and computing services to the Israeli Defense Forces, as well as technical support worth at least $10 million. It is suggested that Azure has been employed to aid combat and intelligence operations.
The joint investigation further claims that Israeli security forces utilized Microsoft technology to manage the population registry and movement of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Additionally, Microsoft allegedly supplied communication systems for handling databases of potential airstrike targets and granted large-scale access to OpenAI’s GPT-4 to the Israeli military.
Neither the Israeli military nor Microsoft have responded to the Guardian’s report.
According to Drop Site, former Microsoft employees Abdo Mohamed and Hossam Nasr have played a key role in advocating for the BDS call to boycott Microsoft’s gaming products. Microsoft terminated their employment in October 2024 following their organization of a vigil for Palestinians outside the company’s headquarters.
BDS has previously protested Microsoft’s alleged ties to Israeli military or security entities. In 2020, they voiced concerns about Microsoft’s investment in AnyVision, an Israeli start-up involved in face recognition technology used at border crossings. Microsoft later divested from AnyVision and announced plans to exit the facial recognition investment sector.
BDS has now designated the games publisher as a “priority target” in response to the recent allegations. For more information on the boycott, visit the BDS website. Comments from Microsoft are pending.
