Microsoft supports Israeli settler-colonialism, US imperialism, US policing, and the US prison-industrial complex. Microsoft bears high responsibility for driving up housing, rental, and living costs in Cambridge and surrounding parts of the Boston area, a phenomenon which is leaving long-time residents increasingly unable to afford to remain in their communities.

Profiting from Israeli militarism and settler-colonialism

Microsoft spins endless propaganda about Israel as "start-up nation" and "hub of innovation," parroting Israeli state efforts to "brand Israel" positively, in order to whitewash the realities of Israel's genocidal violence against Palestinians and theft of Palestinian land and resources. In recent years, Microsoft has acquired Israeli 'cybersecurity' companies such as Aorato (in 2014 for $200 million), Adallom (in 2015 for $320 million), Hexadite (in 2017 for $100 million), and CyberX (in 2020 for $165 million), all companies which produce products based on IDF technologies.

Profiting from incarceration, war, and policing

According to US government spending reports, Microsoft has received $2.87 billion to date through contracts with the US Department of Defense. Moreover, the Pentagon recently awarded Microsoft a $10 billion contract to build its data infrastructure over the coming years.

As Michael Kwet reports, Microsoft also services police departments and prisons around the world. Microsoft develops software for managing information about incarcerated people, including products geared toward the management of data on 'youth offenders.' Microsoft provided similar products to police forces in New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, and Atlanta, as well as in Brazil and Singapore.

Ideologically, Microsoft promotes "community-based policing" and other forms of counterinsurgency and urban warfare masked with liberal buzzwords, through its sponsorship of conferences and non-profit groups. In 2021, for example, Microsoft hosted a panel on "How technology can rebuild bridges between communities and law enforcement." The panel featured former Boston Police Commissioner William Gross. As another example, Microsoft co-hosted the "Police Innovation Conference" in 2015. Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert C. Haas stated about the conference, "The Cambridge Police Department is once again proud to host the Police Innovation Conference along with WiredBlue and Microsoft ... I'm confident that participating law enforcement partners will leave the City of Cambridge with a greater knowledge and understanding of the latest innovative technologies that will influence the future of policing."

Support for US tracking, detention, and deportation of migrants

Microsoft provides wide-scale support to the US government's regime of tracking, detention, and deportation of Black and Brown migrants, providing a wide array of Microsoft technologies and services to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) (ICE and CBP's parent agency). According to US government spending reports, Microsoft has received $509.59 million to date through contracts with the Department of Homeland Security. Microsoft's business with US DHS include the provision of data management technologies to ICE.

In addition to its direct contracts with DHS, Microsoft frequently does business with DHS, ICE, and CBP through third party vendors, presumably in an attempt to reduce public scrutiny of Microsoft's ties to these agencies. As reported by Business Insider in 2021, "Microsoft used third parties to sell its cloud services and software more than 200 times to immigration agencies from 2002 to 2021, in addition to selling to ICE and CBP directly more than 100 times." A (far from exhaustive) list of recent Microsoft sales to ICE, CBP, and DHS through third party vendors includes:

• The provision of a "Microsoft and Azure cloud license for ICE's Office of the CIO [Chief Information Officer]," through the third party vendor Dell Federal Systems LP. Contracts and renewals of contracts between this third party vendor and ICE occurred on March 27th 2021, May 8th 2021, June 8th 2021, July 8th 2021, and August 8th 2021.
• The provision of a "License of Microsoft Power visualization apps for ICE's Office of the CIO," through the third party vendor Dell Federal Systems LP, on May 28th, 2021.
• The provision of an "ICE contract for Microsoft Azure Active Directory cloud storage," through the third party vendor Dell Federal Systems LP, on April 13th, 2021.
• The provision of "A version of Dynamics 365 'configured for ICE' that supports the 'Congressionally mandated increase in detention facility'," through the third party vendor Kci-Acuity, LLC, on May 25, 2021.
• The provision of "$86.8K of Microsoft Surface Pro tablets and accessories for CBP," through the third party vendor Government Acquisitions, Inc., on August 21, 2021.
• The provision of "AWS Cloud and Microsoft Azure cloud hosting infrastructure support for ICE," through the third party vendor "Four Points Technology, LLC," on August 9th 2021.

Complicity in displacement/gentrification

Microsoft maintains sizable offices in Cambridge MA. These offices are, in the company's words, "Positioned in Kendall Square—the heart of Cambridge’s “Innovation Sector”—[where] we’re surrounded by academics, tech leaders, researchers, builders, and thinkers who are poised to discover new and empowering ways to use technology." By gobbling up Cambridge real estate and moving its generally wealthier workforce into the city and surrounding area, Microsoft (along with other university, biomedical, and tech giants like it) bears high responsibility for driving up housing, rental, and general living costs in Cambridge and surrounding areas (see figure below), which leaves long-time area residents increasingly unable to afford remain in the communities they have called home for years if not decades.

(Image source: here)

21 links

1. Partnership/Ownership/Membership – Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute

Microsoft is the source the vast wealth which allows Bill and Melinda Gates to strong-arm peoples and nations worldwide into accepting the Gates' neoliberal vision of global affairs.

2. Partnership/Ownership/Membership – Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

Boston Consulting Group lists Microsoft as one of its Technology and Services partners. See also: here.

3. Product Link – CDM Smith

As of 2016 CDM Smith was using Microsoft's HoloLens to, in their words, "help our clients design, build and operate their infrastructure assets faster and more efficiently." CDM Smith's CIO David Neitz has stated about the product: "Next generation technologies like this [Microsoft HoloLens] will revolutionize our industry by allowing all stakeholders to visualize, communicate and collaborate together in the design and construction process in a more experiential and transparent process." Of note, the Israeli army and US Air Force also both brag about their use of Microsoft's HoloLens for training and for hunting down "enemies."

4. Partnership/Ownership/Membership – General Dynamics Information Technology

General Dynamics Information Techonlogy lists Microsoft as a "strategic partner" on its website. GDIT's website states:

GDIT and Microsoft are transforming the federal government. For over 20 years, we’ve delivered twenty-first-century solutions for our clients, at the security levels their missions require. Our partnership with Microsoft is more than strategic, we’re gold-rated. With over 900 Microsoft-certified employees, GDIT brings our gold competencies to critical services like complex cloud migrations and application modernization to cyber security and unified communications. We provide our clients with Microsoft’s unique DoD- and Intel-specific clouds. GDIT is proud to be one of the less than 10 Azure Gold partners in the world. Together, we deliver the end-to-end, hybrid transformations agencies require to keep pace with a changing world.

See also: here.

5. Association/Collaboration – MITRE

MITRE uses Github, a software development platform that is owned by Microsoft, to host MITRE’s “Adversary Emulation Library,” which is intended to “offer defenders the ability to view their networks from the point of view of an adversary. MIcrosoft has collaborated with MITRE on this project and has participated in MITRE's "Engenuity's Center for Threat-Informed Defense." 

6. Financial Support – MassMutual

MassMutual is a shareholder in Microsoft Corp, with 3.71% shares valued at $6.24 million.

7. Association/Collaboration – McKinsey

Kathleen Kogan who serves as "Chief People Officer" at Microsoft was previously a Partner at McKinsey.

8. Partnership/Ownership/Membership – Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Microsoft provides wide-scale support to the US government's regime of tracking, detention, and deportation of Black and Brown migrants, providing a wide array of Microsoft technologies and services to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) (ICE and CBP's parent agency). According to US government spending reports, Microsoft has received $509.59 million to date through contracts with the Department of Homeland Security. Microsoft's business with US DHS include the provision of data management technologies to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

And in addition to its direct contracts with DHS, Microsoft frequently does business with DHS, ICE, and CBP through third party vendors, presumably in an attempt to reduce public scrutiny of Microsoft's ties to these agencies. As reported by Business Insider in 2021, "Microsoft used third parties to sell its cloud services and software more than 200 times to immigration agencies from 2002 to 2021, in addition to selling to ICE and CBP directly more than 100 times." A (far from exhaustive) list of recent Microsoft sales to ICE, CBP, and DHS through third party vendors includes:

• The provision of a "Microsoft and Azure cloud license for ICE's Office of the CIO [Chief Information Officer]," through the third party vendor Dell Federal Systems LP. Contracts and renewals of contracts between this third party vendor and ICE occurred on March 27th 2021, May 8th 2021, June 8th 2021, July 8th 2021, and August 8th 2021.
• The provision of a "License of Microsoft Power visualization apps for ICE's Office of the CIO," through the third party vendor Dell Federal Systems LP, on May 28th, 2021.
• The provision of an "ICE contract for Microsoft Azure Active Directory cloud storage," through the third party vendor Dell Federal Systems LP, on April 13th, 2021.
• The provision of "A version of Dynamics 365 'configured for ICE' that supports the 'Congressionally mandated increase in detention facility'," through the third party vendor Kci-Acuity, LLC, on May 25, 2021.
• The provision of "$86.8K of Microsoft Surface Pro tablets and accessories for CBP," through the third party vendor Government Acquisitions, Inc., on August 21, 2021.
• The provision of "AWS Cloud and Microsoft Azure cloud hosting infrastructure support for ICE," through the third party vendor "Four Points Technology, LLC," on August 9th 2021.

 

9. Partnership/Ownership/Membership – Department of Homeland Security

Microsoft provides wide-scale support to the US government's regime of tracking, detention, and deportation of Black and Brown migrants, providing a wide array of Microsoft technologies and services to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) (ICE and CBP's parent agency). According to US government spending reports, Microsoft has received $509.59 million to date through contracts with the Department of Homeland Security. Microsoft's business with US DHS include the provision of data management technologies to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

And in addition to its direct contracts with DHS, Microsoft frequently does business with DHS, ICE, and CBP through third party vendors, presumably in an attempt to reduce public scrutiny of Microsoft's ties to these agencies. As reported by Business Insider in 2021, "Microsoft used third parties to sell its cloud services and software more than 200 times to immigration agencies from 2002 to 2021, in addition to selling to ICE and CBP directly more than 100 times." A (far from exhaustive) list of recent Microsoft sales to ICE, CBP, and DHS through third party vendors includes:

• The provision of a "Microsoft and Azure cloud license for ICE's Office of the CIO [Chief Information Officer]," through the third party vendor Dell Federal Systems LP. Contracts and renewals of contracts between this third party vendor and ICE occurred on March 27th 2021, May 8th 2021, June 8th 2021, July 8th 2021, and August 8th 2021.
• The provision of a "License of Microsoft Power visualization apps for ICE's Office of the CIO," through the third party vendor Dell Federal Systems LP, on May 28th, 2021.
• The provision of an "ICE contract for Microsoft Azure Active Directory cloud storage," through the third party vendor Dell Federal Systems LP, on April 13th, 2021.
• The provision of "A version of Dynamics 365 'configured for ICE' that supports the 'Congressionally mandated increase in detention facility'," through the third party vendor Kci-Acuity, LLC, on May 25, 2021.
• The provision of "$86.8K of Microsoft Surface Pro tablets and accessories for CBP," through the third party vendor Government Acquisitions, Inc., on August 21, 2021.
• The provision of "AWS Cloud and Microsoft Azure cloud hosting infrastructure support for ICE," through the third party vendor "Four Points Technology, LLC," on August 9th 2021.
10. Partnership/Ownership/Membership – U.S. Air Force in Massachusetts

Microsoft has derived $305.47 billion to date through US DoD contracts for the provision of products and services to the US Air Force.

11. Partnership/Ownership/Membership – U.S. Army in Massachusetts

Microsoft has derived $375.26 million to date through US DoD contracts for the provision of products and services to the US Army.

12. Partnership/Ownership/Membership – CyberX

CyberX was acquired by Microsoft in 2020, one of many Israeli tech start-ups bought up by and integrated into Microsoft.

13. Partnership/Ownership/Membership – MIT Media Lab

Microsoft has a partnership with MIT Media Lab.

14. Association/Collaboration – Cambridge Police Department

The Cambridge Police Department has collaborated with Microsoft to host propaganda conferences such as the "Police Innovation Conference," which took place in 2013 and again in 2015. Microsoft is listed as a conference sponsor on the conference website for both years. According to the City of Cambridge website: "'The Cambridge Police Department is once again proud to host the Police Innovation Conference along with WiredBlue and Microsoft,' said Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert C. Haas. 'I'm confident that participating law enforcement partners will leave the City of Cambridge with a greater knowledge and understanding of the latest innovative technologies that will influence the future of policing." Other participants in the 2015 Police Innovation Conference included: iRobot, Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, MIT Lincoln Laboratories, and the Sunlight Foundation.

15. Partnership/Ownership/Membership – The Broad Institute

Microsoft and the Broad Institute have a partnership around biomedical research. As part of the financial disclosures he had to make for his Biden-Harris Administration appointment, Broad Institute director and co-founder Eric Lander disclosed that (as of April 2021) he had investments in Microsoft Corp. valued at between $250,001-$500,000.

16. Partnership/Ownership/Membership – Harvard University

Microsoft maintains a partnership with Harvard's Institute for Quantitative Social Science. Microsoft also has offices in Cambridge MA, where Harvard is located.

17. Partnership/Ownership/Membership – MIT

Microsoft maintains a partnership with MIT. Microsoft itself also maintains offices in the Kendal Square neighborhood of Cambridge MA, where MIT is located.

18. Association/Collaboration – Boston Police Department

In 2021, Microsoft hosted a panel on "How technology can rebuild bridges between communities and law enforcement" which featured former Boston Police Commissioner William Gross. Microsoft's coordination of this panel is emblematic of the company's broader ideological support for "community-based policing" and other forms of counterinsurgency and urban warfare masked with liberal buzzwords.

19. Partnership/Ownership/Membership – Recorded Future

Recorded Future partners with Microsoft to provide intelligence integration services.

20. Association/Collaboration – Tatelman Family Foundation

The Susan and Barry Tatelman Foundation held shares in Microsoft valued at $225,674 (fair market value). The foundation stopped reporting share holdings on their financials after FY11, so it is unclear whether it still holds these shares in Microsoft or has since sold them.

21. Partnership/Ownership/Membership – U.S. Navy in Massachusetts

Microsoft has derived $259.98 billion to date through US DoD contracts for the provision of products and services to the US Navy.

1 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA 02142