Principal Microsoft Engineer Steps Down in Protest of Israeli Military Contracts
Scott Sutfin-Glowski, a principal software engineer at Microsoft for 13 years, has publicly announced his resignation. This move comes as a protest against Microsoft’s ongoing business ties with the Israeli military, particularly in the provision of cloud services, amid the escalating Gaza conflict.
In a heartfelt message to his colleagues, Sutfin-Glowski expressed his deep concern, stating that he could “no longer accept enabling what may be the worst atrocities of our time.” His statement was in reference to a February report by the Associated Press, which disclosed that the Israeli military maintains at least 635 active Microsoft subscriptions. Despite numerous employee protests, the majority of these subscriptions remain operational.
This resignation occurs amidst a period of growing internal tension within Microsoft. Over 1,500 employees have petitioned the company to endorse a ceasefire. In recent months, five employees have been dismissed following protests against the company’s contracts with the Israeli military. Furthermore, the company has imposed restrictions on employee communication systems discussing these concerns.
In September, Microsoft terminated certain services to an Israeli Defense Ministry unit. This decision followed an investigation into reports that the military was using Azure cloud services for mass surveillance of Palestinians. However, Sutfin-Glowski and other employees argue that broader military contracts remain active. They continue to voice their opposition to the company’s business relationships in the region.
Source: CNBC