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LONDON: Human rights groups and activists welcomed Microsoft’s suspension of Israeli military access to some technologies linked to mass surveillance of Palestinians, urging the company to go further and end all contracts with Israel.

The decision, announced by Microsoft President Brad Smith on Thursday, followed an investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call, which revealed that Unit 8200, Israel’s spy agency, used Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform to store and process vast amounts of Palestinian phone calls in Gaza and the West Bank as part of a mass surveillance program.

Microsoft said it acted after reviewing the reports and had blocked the unit’s access to some cloud storage and AI services.

Agnes Callamard, secretary-general of Amnesty International, urged the tech giant to investigate all its other dealings with the Israeli military to ensure they do not contribute to Israel’s “human rights violations against Palestinians.”

She urged other tech companies to suspend similar technology and military sales and called for accountability as Israel’s campaign in Gaza continues to cause mass civilian casualties, displacement and famine.

“There must be an end to the impunity that Israel has enjoyed and flouted,” said Callamard, urging states to “live up to their legal obligations toward bringing Israel’s genocide.”

The worker-led “No Azure for Apartheid” campaign group, which has lately escalated protests against Microsoft for its ties with Israel, welcomed the partial suspension but said it was “insufficient.”

The group reiterated its call for a complete suspension of Microsoft’s ties with the Israeli military and vowed to continue protests until that demand is met.

“We know that this is not enough,” Hossam Nasr, one of the group’s organizers, told Arab News.

“Microsoft has only disabled a small subset of services to only one unit in the Israeli military. The vast majority of Microsoft’s contract with the Israeli military remains intact.”

He said continuing ties with the military while it carries out its relentless campaign in Gaza is “unconscionable and morally indefensible for Microsoft.”

Nasr, a former Microsoft employee who was fired last year for holding an “unauthorized” vigil for Palestinian victims of Gaza, was one of seven protesters arrested after staging a a sit-in at the office of the Microsoft president in Washington. He said Microsoft’s suspension of some cloud services to Unit 8200, one month after the sit-in and repeated protests, demonstrated that the company had yielded to pressure.

Nasr said that although Microsoft’s response was “inadequate,” it marked the first instance of a US technology company halting the sale of certain services to the Israeli military “since the start of Gaza genocide.”

The campaign group, which gathered over 2,000 signatures from Microsoft employees and held demonstrations outside the company’s Washington headquarters last month, described its demand as part of a broader push for a “digital arms embargo” in parallel with weapons embargoes being imposed by governments worldwide.

In his official statement on Thursday, Smith said investigations were continuing.

Despite the suspension, he said that the company will continue to provide cybersecurity support to Israel and regional partners under existing agreements.

DUBAI: Two content creators from ��������, Haya Sawan and Eman Gamal, are among 50 selected worldwide for TikTok’s 2025 Change Makers program.

Now in its second year, the program aims to spotlight and amplify “mission-driven creators making a positive impact” both on and off the platform, according to TikTok.

Sawan is a Saudi entrepreneur and motivational speaker focused on health and wellness.

She founded fitness initiative SheFit in 2019, serves on the board of the Saudi Surfing Federation, and is managing partner of the fitness space Motion Academy.

“For me, storytelling is a catalyst, uniting different fields to ignite curiosity, fuel action, and guide people toward meaningful impact,” Sawan told Arab News.

Gamal is a licensed pharmacist, clinical nutrition specialist, mental health advocate, and public speaker. She has worked as a medical representative with regional firms including the Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries & Medical Appliances Corp.

Along with health and nutrition, her content also focuses on technology and innovation. She said she enjoys sharing insights that have made a difference in her life, hoping they will positively impact her audience as well.

“For me, TikTok isn’t just a platform; it’s a real space for change,” she added.

This year, TikTok also selected Yara Bou Monsef, who is based in Lebanon and the UAE, to join the program.

She first began making TikTok videos to teach sign language. Now, her content blends humor, lifestyle, and fashion with sign language awareness and education.

Her goal is to connect with her audience and make people “feel seen and welcome,” whether by teaching sign language or sharing life in Beirut and Dubai, she said, adding: “If one viewer feels included because of a story I share, that’s what success looks like to me.”

The five-month program will see TikTok support the selected creators with training and resources to further their growth on the platform. It will also host events and provide real-life opportunities to help the creators network and build connections.

Kinda Ibrahim, regional general manager of operations for the Middle East, Africa, Turkey, Pakistan, Central & South Asia, at TikTok, said: “We are incredibly proud to see creators from the MENA region on TikTok’s 2025 Change Makers list.

“Their passion and creativity show TikTok’s dedication to not just content creation, but for real change that touches lives and connects communities across the region and beyond.”