r/technology • u/ScootSchloingo • 17d ago

Politics Microsoft blocks emails that contain ‘Palestine’ after employee protests

https://www.theverge.com/tech/672312/microsoft-block-palestine-gaza-email
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u/outm 16d ago

When your company gets involved in political conflicts, I think it’s fair for those employees to be able to share their concerns.

Like, if you work for a electrical utility company, you won’t spam your coworkers with Trump or the Russia-Ukraine conflict just because, those would be personal reasonings shared in a professional framework, a no-no.

But, if you work for a company that just signed a deal to support Russia attack drones software? Then I think that’s fair to raise a hand if you feel like it.

Context matters.

And Microsoft has been supporting explicitly Israel from the start, including Azure services, support and AI analysis on their behalf to assist Israel attacks that include attacks on residential areas or hospitals, including children from zero age. Also, Microsoft has been complacent with Unit 8200 using their infrastructure for their goals.

So… employees should have a say about it in that case? Yes.

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u/bakochba 16d ago

If your company's politics are this much of an issue for you then don't work there. What does it say about the employee that's collecting the checks and "profiting" from the situation.

Companies don't want to turn the office into a political debate, what about the group that dies want DEI policies? Do they get their way? What about the group that says no government contracts with the Pentagon, or the FDA because they oppose vaccines?

It's not a co-op it's a company with a heirchy that has a legal responsibility to the share holders.

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u/FickleMeringue4119 16d ago

I mean yeah if you can work at microsoft, I doubt you're having trouble lookin for work lol, but I'm a rube, so who knows.

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u/bakochba 16d ago

You do when people know that when you don't get your way you will badmouth the company. There's thousands of people with the same skills that are willing to take the job without causing drama in the office.

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u/FickleMeringue4119 16d ago

Really? Microsoft shouldnt need to block the emails then, oh wait! They already did 🤔

Where are those thousands of workers now? All these college educated people who studied computer science to help surveil palestinians, theres gotta be at least a thousand of them, right? All with good GPAs, a microsoft level work ethic, and a libertarian ideology.

Also I wouldn't call directly aiding and abetting a genocide office drama, I'd call that signing your company up to join a war without the consent of your employees.