STJV union members at Arkane Studios in France have joined the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement in calling for parent company Microsoft to end its support for an Israeli regime that a United Nations Special Committee last year said has been waging war on Gaza in a way that is "consistent with the characteristics of genocide."
Extensive reporting from The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call has revealed that Microsoft is allowing Israel's military surveillance agency, Unit 8200, to use its Azure cloud platform to monitor Palestinians and enable military action such as airstrikes. Earlier this year, Microsoft said an external review "found no evidence to date" that Azure or its AI products have been used to "target or harm people" in Gaza.
Now, however, workers at one of the company's video game subsidiaries have backed BDS in demanding a boycott of Microsoft and Xbox products, and accused their employer of being an "accomplice of a genocide."
In an open letter published online, Arkane Studios' STJV section addressed leaders at Arkane, ZeniMax, Microsoft Gaming, and the wider Microsoft group and called for the company to terminate all ongoing or future contracts with the Israeli regime.
"We think that Microsoft has no place being accomplice of a genocide, and as Microsoft employees, we don't want to be part of this sinister project for Gaza. Moreover, we think it's our responsibility, as tech workers, to raise the alarm, and to ensure that our technologies are used to make the voices of the oppressed heard, and not facilitate their demise," reads the open letter.
"In a more direct manner, we think this could very well affect our life directly, by reducing the audience for our games, thus directly compromising the viability of Xbox Games, and, in the long run, our very own jobs."
"Microsoft has failed both its teams & its customers by being actively complicit of the invasion and war crimes happening in Gaza"
STJV union workers are also demanding that Microsoft disclose all ties to the Israeli military and conduct a "transparent, independent and public audit" of its technologies, contracts, services, and investments to ensure they do not violate the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions, and Microsoft's own Human Rights statement.
In addition, the group is calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and wants Microsoft to ensure the protection of pro-Palestinian speech and actions such as fundraising initiatives on internal company platforms.
"Microsoft has a responsibility toward its employees, as we have one toward the company. As stated in the company’s commitment to human rights, and regularly used in the company talk points," continues the letter.
"Microsoft is committed to protecting fundamental rights. But so far, Microsoft has failed both its teams and its customers by being actively complicit of the invasion and war crimes happening in Gaza. If those core values are more then just a talking points [sic] to sell more products, it is now more than due time for Microsoft to commit to them."
On its website, BDS describes Microsoft as "perhaps the most complicit tech company in Israel’s illegal occupation, apartheid regime and ongoing genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza."
The movement wants consumers to pressure Microsoft by boycotting the company's gaming products including Xbox Game Pass, lucrative franchises like Candy Crush and Call of Duty, and hardware such as Xbox consoles, headsets, accessories, and more.
"Microsoft Gaming, which includes Xbox consoles, Xbox Game Pass, Candy Crush, Call of Duty, Minecraft, and gaming accessories, make up a considerable portion of Microsoft’s profit. By boycotting the Xbox brand, we’re pressuring Microsoft to end its complicity in Israel’s genocide, occupation and apartheid against Palestinians," continues BDS.
Game Developer has reached out to Microsoft for comment.
