In October last year, after these demands were published, Microsoft fired two employees who organized a vigil at the company’s headquarters for Palestinians killed in Gaza.
Speech & moderationConfirmed
Microsoft censors politically sensitive Chinese names in US searches
Microsoft censors politically sensitive Chinese names in US searches according to a cybersecurity report.
Microsoft shuttered 15+ China offices, moved Surface and Xbox production out, and cut 400 Azure jobs while China contributes just 2% of its global revenue.
Privacy & surveillanceConfirmed
Microsoft won't sell face recognition software to police
Microsoft announced it will not sell facial recognition software to law enforcement agencies.
Microsoft Won’t Sell Face Recognition Software to Police
Workplace equityConfirmed
Microsoft rolls back DEI programs and removes hate speech protections on LinkedIn
Microsoft kowtowed to Trump administration pressure by rolling back Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commitments and removing hate speech protections on LinkedIn.
But the company has also kowtowed to pressure from the Trump administration to roll back Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) commitments and has removed some hate speech protections on LinkedIn, which Microsoft owns.
Reproductive careConfirmed
Microsoft covers abortion travel costs
Microsoft expanded employee benefits to include travel expenses for abortion care.
Microsoft isn’t the only company that seems to contradict its own politics by promising to cover abortion travel costs for employees, while at the same time donating to political action committees that funded the governors and attorneys general who fought to overturn Roe v.
“Sending multiple militarized police forces after protestors demonstrates that Microsoft views organizing as a serious threat to its bottom line.”
“Microsoft demonstrated that our organizing threatened their business by calling multiple county police departments, as well as the Washington State Police, who then inflicted several injuries on people in our community,” says Julius Shan, another Microsoft employee fired in the wake of the confrontation.
Wages & economic policyConfirmed
11 tech companies including Microsoft spent $20 million lobbying in Q1 2026
Microsoft participated in a collective $20 million lobbying effort in the first three months of 2026, alongside other top tech companies.
In just the first three months of 2026, 11 top tech companies, including Alphabet, Microsoft, Anthropic, and OpenAI, spent $20 million on lobbying, according to an analysis of first-quarter lobbying reports by Issue One, a bipartisan political reform group.
Workplace equityConfirmed
Microsoft rolls back DEI workplace priorities
Microsoft removed security and diversity core priorities from employee performance reviews.
Microsoft has removed its companywide security and diversity “core priorities” from its performance reviews, meaning employees no longer have to submit exactly what they did to improve security and diversity and what they plan to do in the future.
DefenseConfirmed
Microsoft lands $9.7 billion defense contract
Microsoft landed a $9.7 billion defense contract last month for the Pentagon.
The Pentagon is one of Microsoft’s biggest customers. The company has landed major defense contracts since Trump took office, including one for classified AI development and another last month worth $9.7 billion.
Media & the pressConfirmed
Microsoft funded a $10 million AI collaborative
OpenAI and its minority owner Microsoft are funding a $10 million AI collaborative and fellowship program operated by the Lenfest Institute, a nonprofit that supports local journalism.
OpenAI and its minority owner Microsoft are funding a $10 million AI collaborative and fellowship program operated by the Lenfest Institute, a nonprofit that supports local journalism.
Workplace equityConfirmed
Microsoft asks employees to join DEI program
Microsoft asks employees to participate in its diversity and inclusion program.
Microsoft also fired two employees last year for holding a vigil for Palestinians killed in Gaza, with the tech giant citing violations of internal policies.
Microsoft has a $133 million contract with the Israeli military to provide the Israeli military with access to OpenAI models through Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform.
Tech giants Amazon, Google, and Microsoft provide cloud storage and AI services to the Israeli military, enhancing its capabilities in Israel's war on Gaza.
In May 2025, Microsoft confirmed it was providing cloud and artificial intelligence services to the Israeli military used in Gaza, including software, professional services, Azure cloud and AI services — tools such as language translation.
Amazon, Google & Microsoft fuel Israeli military aggression in Israel's War on Gaza, investigation reveals
USA: Microsoft fires worker who interrupted CEO speech protesting against the company supplying technology to the Israeli military during war on Gaza
Israel/Palestine: Microsoft fires two employees over vigil to commemorate Palestinians killed in Israel's ongoing war on Gaza & highlight Microsoft's complicity
Microsoft has fired two employees who organised a vigil at the company's headquarters for the thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza during Israel's brutal military onslaught.
Another fired worker, Hossam Nasr, said the purpose of the vigil was both "to honour the victims of the Palestinian genocide in Gaza and to call attention to Microsoft’s complicity in the genocide" because of the use of its technology by the Israeli military...
Amazon, Google & Microsoft fuel Israeli military aggression in Israel's War on Gaza, investigation reveals
USA: Two Microsoft workers fired after protests during 50th anniversary events against the supplying of AI technology to Israel's military amid the genocide in Gaza
USA: Four Microsoft employees fired following protests over the company's ties to Israel's operations in Gaza
Both employees were members of a coalition of employees called "No Azure for Apartheid" that has opposed Microsoft's sale of its cloud-computing technology to the Israeli government.
"Microsoft fires employees over vigil for Palestinians killed in Gaza", 26 October 2024
In August 2025, it was reported that Microsoft had fired four employees after they took part in protests against the company's ties to Israel amid the genocide in Gaza.
USA: Two Microsoft workers fired after protests during 50th anniversary events against the supplying of AI technology to Israel's military amid the genocide in Gaza
USA: Four Microsoft employees fired following protests over the company's ties to Israel's operations in Gaza
...Microsoft has fired four employees after they took part in protests against the company’s ties to Israel amid the ongoing war on Gaza.
USA: Four Microsoft employees fired following protests over the company's ties to Israel's operations in Gaza - Business and Human Rights Centre
USA: Two Microsoft workers fired after protests during 50th anniversary events against the supplying of AI technology to Israel's military amid the genocide in Gaza
USA: Four Microsoft employees fired following protests over the company's ties to Israel's operations in Gaza
One of the two employees fired was Egyptian-raised, Harvard University graduate Hossam Nasr, who said the purpose of the vigil was “to honor the victims of the Palestinian genocide in Gaza and to call attention to Microsoft’s complicity in the genocide”.
“This is what’s happening within Microsoft. People are calling them out, and they’re even refusing to engage and look at serious concerns that come with the use of these technologies.”
The group demands Microsoft sever all Azure contracts and partnerships with the Israeli military and government, disclose all ties with Israel, call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the conflict in Gaza, and protect and uphold the free speech of employees.
“Microsoft really crumbled under pressure, internally and externally, to fire me and to shut down and retaliate against our event, not because of policy violations, simply because we were daring to humanize Palestinians, and simply because we were daring to say that Microsoft should not be complicit with an army that is plausibly accused of genocide,” said Nasr, who has been criticized on social media and in internal Microsoft employee communication groups over his support for Palestine.
Two Microsoft employees who were fired last week after organizing a vigil for Palestinians killed in Gaza say the company retaliated against them for their pro-Palestinian activism.
WASHINGTON — Microsoft has fired four employees who participated in protests on company premises against the firm’s ties to Israel as it wages war on Hamas in Gaza, including two who took part in a sit-in this week at the office of the company’s president.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported Tuesday that Microsoft has taken multiple steps to contain pro-Palestinian employee activism, including contacting the FBI, cooperating with local authorities, deleting internal content and firing protest leaders.
Climate & energyConfirmed
Microsoft facilitates new oil and gas extraction
Microsoft continues to facilitate new oil and gas extraction through advanced technology.
Microsoft’s continued facilitation of new oil and gas extraction through advanced technology exposes it to material reputational, competitive, and operational risk.
Climate & energyConfirmed
Microsoft partners with oil industry for natural gas
Microsoft enters a partnership with the oil industry to invest in natural gas for its electricity needs.
Microsoft's embrace of natural gas through a partnership with the oil industry shows a willingness to invest in fossil fuels to meet its electricity needs.
Labor & working conditionsConfirmed
Microsoft — union-busting
The documented action involving Microsoft concerns union-busting.
"Microsoft is going to get the best young minds in this country," added the union president, who hopes the deal will inspire more workers to unionize and other companies to follow Microsoft's lead in agreeing to eschew union-busting.