The article reports that OpenAI, under a $200 million Pentagon contract, is deploying a tailored version of ChatGPT for US government agencies using specialized hardware hosted on Microsoft Azure’s cloud services, linking Azure to national defense applications.

In May 2025, Microsoft confirmed it provides cloud and artificial intelligence services to Israel’s Defense Ministry amid the Gaza conflict. The company acknowledged concerns and initiated both internal and external reviews, while denying evidence of its tools being used to target civilians.

OpenSecrets released data detailing Microsoft Corp's lobbying expenditures for the first quarter of 2025, with figures calculated from the Senate Office of Public Records. The data underscores the company's active lobbying practices, which raise concerns about disproportionate corporate influence on government policy.

Microsoft workers protested the company’s contracts supplying cloud and AI services via Microsoft Azure to the Israeli military. Reports indicate that these technologies have been used to support military operations, including target selection in Gaza and Lebanon, raising serious ethical concerns.

Campaign finance data released by the FEC, IRS, and Senate Office provide insights into Microsoft Corp’s political spending, highlighting contributions to organizations such as the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Best of America PAC in early 2025.

The corporate page outlines Microsoft’s engagement with governments, policy makers, and civil society on progressive issues such as the right to privacy, cybersecurity, sustainable practices, and affordable connectivity. It also highlights the bipartisan oversight of its Stakeholders Voluntary Political Action Committee, indicating a commitment to responsible and transparent political engagement.

Microsoft announced a series of initiatives aimed at safeguarding electoral processes for the 2024 elections. These include launching Content Credentials as a Service to authenticate campaign media, establishing a Campaign Success Team to guide political campaigns on cybersecurity challenges, creating an Election Communications Hub for election authorities, endorsing bipartisan legislation against deceptive AI in political ads, and enhancing voter empowerment by providing authoritative election information via Bing.

Human rights groups have urged Microsoft to suspend its plans for a new cloud data center in Saudi Arabia, citing significant risks that the Saudi government could access sensitive user data and leverage it for repressive surveillance. The groups demand a thorough human rights due diligence process to mitigate potential abuses before any further investment.

Human Rights Watch has urged Microsoft to suspend its planned investment in a new cloud data center in Saudi Arabia, citing the kingdom’s history of significant human rights abuses, including state surveillance and repression. The organization argues that proceeding with the project risks making Microsoft complicit in facilitating authoritarian practices by providing infrastructure that could enable widespread digital surveillance.

Microsoft announced changes to its labor policy for its US workforce, including removing noncompete clauses (except for senior leadership), enhancing pay transparency by publicly disclosing salary ranges, and modifying confidentiality provisions in separation agreements. The company also plans to conduct a third‐party civil rights audit of its workforce policies, aligning its practices with new Washington state laws aimed at protecting worker rights.