this post was submitted on 12 Jul 2024

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Microsoft is reportedly banning Palestinians in the U.S. for life for calling relatives in Gaza (www.windowscentral.com)

submitted 2 months ago by Linkerbaan@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

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A BBC investigation reveals that Microsoft is permanently banning Palestinians in the U.S. and other countries who use Skype to call relatives in Gaza.

Reportedly, Microsoft has been banning and wiping the accounts of users who have leveraged Skype to contact relatives in Gaza. In some cases, email accounts over a decade old have been locked, destroying access to banking accounts, OneDrive storage, and beyond.

United States resident Salah Elsadi lost his account of over 15 years in the dragnet. "I've had this Hotmail for 15 years. They banned me for no reason, saying I have violated their terms — what terms? Tell me. I've filled out about 50 forms and called them many many times." Eiad Hametto from Saudi Arabia echoed the report, "We are civilians with no political background who just wanted to check on our families. They’ve suspended my email account that I’ve had for nearly 20 years. It was connected to all my work. They killed my life online."

Many of the users affected by the bans expressed that Microsoft may be falsely labelling them as Hamas

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[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 61 points 2 months ago (4 children)

Damn, thats some google level behavior.

What the fuck, MIcrosoft.

[–] archchan@lemmy.ml 49 points 2 months ago (1 children)

No, it's standard corp level behavior that's beholden to government censorship and propaganda when it doesn't fit the narrative. You can substitute any big tech company in the US for Google. They all do this. It's why the government is not a fan of TikTok, they don't have that same level of control over the flow of information.

[–] DeVaolleysAdVocate@lemmy.world -1 points 2 months ago (4 children)

that and it is quite literally spyware that sends all the consumer data to the CCP where they can adjust their own algorithms to show things that can sway the minds of people too young to think critically

[–] Amir@lemmy.ml 14 points 2 months ago

it is quite literally spyware

So are Facebook and Instagram, which are apparently not a problem. Remember Cambridge Analytica?

where they can adjust their own algorithms to show things that can sway the minds of people too young to think critically

Every social media platform does this for maximum retention

to the CCP

What's the CCP gonna do with it that's worse than what Western companies do with it?

[–] generichate1546@lemmynsfw.com 5 points 2 months ago

The hell do you think the data from American companies goes‽ Snowden literally told us the US govt is doing the same thing...not saying they should, just asking where is the outrage that we're being spied on by our own government.... It's plenty there when we're being spied on by China... And quite frankly I feel like China can do a lot less to me than home can.

[–] SSJMarx@lemm.ee 5 points 2 months ago

the cpc adjusts the American version of an app operated in Singapore to propagandize Zoomers

This only happens in the minds of the paranoid. China has their own version of TikTok, Douyin, which operates under their media restrictions.

[–] pop@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 months ago

they can adjust their own algorithms to show things that can sway the minds of people too young to think critically

Ironic. You're literally commenting on companies adjusting their algorithm to create a narrative and censor something your government doesn't like.

Think critically next time. You're not smart as you think you are.

[–] AWittyUsername@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Yeah what are people going to do when Google starts banning accounts for using ad blockers?

[–] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 14 points 2 months ago

That's probably when I'll finish de-Googling entirely.

[–] dinckelman@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

All of these are a shit stain from the same asshole of corporate USA

[–] CeeBee_Eh@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

What the fuck, MIcrosoft.

Ok, honest question. Are you surprised?

If it was any other company I would be. But it's Microsoft.

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Yes.

I'm no microsoft fanboy, but I am shocked that they would do this. Everyone should be shocked. To be anything but shocked is to be complacent.

This is the kind of shit google does on the regular, Never heard of Microsoft doing anything like this before.

And as I've said in response to instances of google doing this, I'll say it again here. This continues to highlight the dangers of having all your eggs in one companies basket, by choosing comfort and convenience you've given your entire digital life over to a company that has no compunctions against metaphorically guillotining it for any reason they want.

[–] CeeBee_Eh@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

This continues to highlight the dangers of having all your eggs in one companies basket, by choosing comfort and convenience you've given your entire digital life over to a company that has no compunctions against metaphorically guillotining it for any reason they want.

I agree. Which is why I don't use anything Microsoft. Even in software projects I go out of my way to not use a single Microsoft dependency or library.

I self-host my own photo auto-upload with Nextcloud. I don't use Windows. I'm forced to use MS stuff at my work but I managed to get the company-wide policy changed to allow anyone to use Linux or Mac, so I'm running Ubuntu.

I've also been working up the effort to ditch stock Android and go with GrapheneOS.