Digital Rights Weekly Update: 16 - 22 May

Palestine Digital Activism Forum 2025 Highlights Disrupted Connectivity as a Tool of Repression Amid Genocide in Gaza, with Over 900 Participants

7amleh

May 22, 2025, 7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media concluded the ninth edition of the Palestine Digital Activism Forum 2025 on Wednesday evening. Held under the theme "Disconnected: The Impact of War on Internet Access and Palestinian Digital Rights," the forum was attended by over 900 participants from around the world, hosted more than 60 speakers and trainers, and was organized in partnership with over 50 local and international organisations. Held virtually over the course of two days, the forum brought together digital rights advocates, legal experts, civil society representatives, journalists, engineers, and technologists to discuss the consequences of the forced digital blackout in Gaza. Discussions focused on the impact on education, healthcare, mental health support, and human connection, as well as strategies to counter digital censorship, technological violations, and institutional complicity in occupation and repression.

Homegrown digital road maps turn into lifelines for West Bank’s Palestinians

Rest Of World

For Palestinians living in the West Bank, stepping onto the roads of the territory occupied by Israel is a daily journey of resilience. With movement shackled by a complex web of Israeli checkpoints and barriers, homegrown mapping solutions have become their lifelines. These digital networks help Palestinians reach work, schools, and hospitals as blockades have continued to increase since the latest Israel-Gaza war started in October 2023.Apps such as Doroob Navigator and Azmeh, which crowdsource traffic data and information about road closures, guide them through the numerous obstacles they face in their commutes. The situation has worsened dramatically in recent months. Simple trips that once took 45 minutes now stretch beyond three hours, with some routes completely sealed, commuters say. 

The Israeli military wanted to kill more Palestinians faster. They unleashed powerful technology to do it.

VP

Palestinians are one of the most surveilled people on the planet. Israel collects data on where they live, who they know, and how they socialize. For years, it has used its surveillance apparatus to intimidate Palestinians and entrench a system of apartheid. When Israel launched its genocidal campaign in Gaza in October 2023, it used this data with a number of automated systems to unleash an unprecedented killing spree. These systems, which rely on artificial intelligence (AI), are closely guarded secrets. But six Israeli intelligence officers have disclosed how Israel used two of these systems to operate an automated killing machine. One of these tools is called Lavender. It suggests who to kill faster than humanly possible.

Microsoft confirms AI, cloud services to Israeli Defense Ministry amid Gaza war scrutiny

MEMO

Microsoft has confirmed it provides cloud and artificial intelligence services to Israel’s Defense Ministry, while denying its tools were used to harm civilians in Gaza, as scrutiny intensifies over the role of US tech firms in the ongoing war, Anadolu reports. In a statement published Thursday, the company acknowledged public and internal concerns about whether Microsoft Azure and AI products had been used “to target civilians or cause harm” in Gaza. The statement follows months of pressure from Microsoft employees and rights groups, demanding transparency over its relationship with the Israeli military. “We take these concerns seriously,” the company said, adding it had launched an internal review and hired an external firm for additional investigation.

Microsoft blocks emails that contain ‘Palestine’ after employee protests

The verge

Microsoft employees have discovered that any emails they send with the terms “Palestine” or “Gaza” are getting temporarily blocked from being sent to recipients inside and outside the company. The No Azure for Apartheid (NOAA) protest group reports that “dozens of Microsoft workers” have been unable to send emails with the words “‘Palestine,” “Gaza,” and “Genocide” in email subject lines or in the body of a message. “Words like ‘Israel’ or ‘P4lestine’ do not trigger such a block,” says NOAA organizer Hossam Nasr. “NOAA believes this is an attempt by Microsoft to silence worker free speech and is a censorship enacted by Microsoft leadership to discriminate against Palestinian workers and their allies.“