Eighteen activists were taken into custody in a dramatic incident after anti-Israel agitators and Microsoft employees staged a second encampment at the company’s Redmond, Washington, headquarters.
Tensions escalated at Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington, campus on Wednesday as at least 18 people were arrested during a disruptive protest led by current and former employees. The group, calling themselves “No Azure For Apartheid,” targeted Microsoft’s AI contracts with Israel, accusing the tech giant of aiding the Israeli military.
Microsoft has announced it will no longer allow engineers based in China to support U.S. defense clients using its Azure cloud services. The decision follows an investigation that raised serious national security concerns over Chinese nationals handling Pentagon-linked systems.
A ProPublica investigation has revealed that Microsoft employs engineers in China to help maintain computer systems for the U.S. Department of Defense, despite minimal oversight by U.S. personnel. The arrangement, which Microsoft uses to support its bid for Pentagon cloud contracts, may expose some of the nation's most sensitive military data to cyber infiltration by China.
Microsoft Research Asia (MSRA), based in Beijing and Shanghai, continues to conduct high-risk artificial intelligence research despite reassurances from Microsoft leadership that sensitive projects are off-limits. According to watchdogs, the Beijing lab has published facial recognition and synthetic media research in collaboration with prominent, sanctioned Chinese universities—some known for close ties to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Seattle has lost Microsoft’s prestigious Build developer conference due to growing concerns over crime, homelessness, and deteriorating conditions downtown. Starting in 2026, the tech giant will relocate the event, delivering a major blow to Seattle’s reputation and economy.
A prominent legal organization has accused Microsoft of violating federal anti-discrimination laws by allegedly fostering "widespread anti-Semitism" within its workplace.
Microsoft confirmed it is laying off 3% of its global workforce, affecting an estimated 6,840 employees across all divisions. The cuts, which began Tuesday, will impact staff in the U.S. and abroad, including teams at LinkedIn and Xbox.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has lost its appeal to block Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of gaming powerhouse Activision Blizzard, dealing another blow to the Biden administration’s aggressive regulatory stance against Big Tech mergers.
