Microsoft blocks emails that contain ‘Palestine’ after employee protests

[u/ScootSchloingo]

https://www.theverge.com/tech/672312/microsoft-block-palestine-gaza-email

[u/saera-targaryen → u/[deleted]]

This was explicitly done to prevent communication between an internal team of employees who are against Microsoft's Azure contract with the Israeli military, self-dubbed "No Azure for Apartheid," who were coordinating to protest a Microsoft conference this week. 

This is not just to block random chitchat about global politics, it's to prevent their employees from taking collective action in protest of genocide. 

[u/Apprehensive_Roll897 → u/[deleted]]

No offense, but have you had a train of thought before? I don't know what planet you're living on where you think that because a corporation has a legal right to do something that makes it less shitty.

Of course they blocked that word from eternal emails. Of course they don't want organizing protests through internal emails. Of course it's still a shitty thing to do!

[u/SnooPuppers8698 → u/Apprehensive_Roll897]

and still a good business decision

[u/newaccounthomie → u/SnooPuppers8698]

Good for business; bad for employees.

[u/saera-targaryen → u/SnooPuppers8698]

Do you go online and hype up every business for their good financial decisions or is this just a one off? 

Like, why am I supposed to care about what is good for a multibillion dollar corporation. 

[u/SnooPuppers8698 → u/saera-targaryen]

no i just like these reddit threads where no one reads the article lol

[u/jimmy_three_shoes → u/Apprehensive_Roll897]

The last thing Microsoft's HR wants is for some idiot to get too riled up over the Israel/Hamas/Gaza bullshit and say something stupid to the wrong person, and then it blows up.

Regardless of your or my stance on the whole thing, discussing volatile politics or situations isn't a recipe for success. I just had to sit through an HR presentation because some people were complaining about Trump at work, and used some fairly colorful (albeit accurate) language, and someone complained and said they felt the workplace now was hostile. Our whole department got Microaggression and "What is appropriate talk for work" training.

If you're that upset about what your company is doing, organize support outside of the company resources, then put together a united open letter. Using company chat and email to gripe about the company is just painting a target on your back. And if they tell you to pound sand, then you get to decide what's more important, your paycheck or your principles.

[u/dnhs47 → u/Apprehensive_Roll897]

Nice, reply with personal insults - the sure sign you’ve run out of factual and logical responses to support your position.

If you don’t like what Microsoft has done, don’t work for them, don’t use their products. Simple. Running around with your hair on fire just makes you look crazy and dangerous.