Microsoft engineer’s resignation letter to thousands of employees goes viral, says he “can’t work in a company…”

Microsoft software engineer Scott Sutfin-Glowski, who worked at the tech company for 13 years, resigned Thursday to protest the company’s ongoing cloud services contracts with the Israeli military. “I can no longer accept enabling the worst atrocities of our time,” he wrote in a mass email to thousands of colleagues, choosing to leave rather than risk being fired for dissent.

Sutfin-Glowski’s resignation comes amid months of infighting over Microsoft’s ties to the Israeli military. The company has already laid off five employees due to Gaza-related demonstrations; four of them occupied Mayor Brad Smith’s office in August.

Microsoft’s limited response to employee concerns
In September, Microsoft stopped providing some services to the Israeli Defense Force’s Unit 8200 under internal and external pressure, following a report alleging the intelligence unit was using Microsoft’s Azure platform to monitor “one million calls per hour” from Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The company’s action follows Microsoft President Brad Smith’s warning to employees.

Defending the firings in August, Smith said: “Anyone smart enough to get a job at Microsoft is smart enough to know that you can’t just storm in, break into buildings, invade other people’s offices, and keep your job at Microsoft.”

Workers’ protests continue
New demonstrations were held at Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters on Thursday. The No Azure for Apartheid group displayed banners with images of warplanes and missiles bearing the Azure cloud logo, saying “WE CALL NULLY. CUT ALL TIES WITH ISRAEL NOW” and “Microsoft Build IS KILLING”. More than 1,500 Microsoft employees have signed petitions calling on the company to approve a ceasefire. Among those previously fired was Azure Storage engineer Riki Fameli, who told Business Insider that “appropriate channels were dead ends” for employees’ concerns about company policies. Critics say service cuts are inadequate
After investigating the Guardian’s report, Smith confirmed that Microsoft had blocked cloud storage and AI services for the Unit 8200. An Israeli security official told CNN that the move “does not harm the IDF’s operational capabilities.” Intelligence sources reported that Unit 8200 moved surveillance data from Microsoft’s Dutch servers to Amazon Web Services shortly after the investigation.

Activists said Microsoft’s actions affected only one unit, but most of its military contracts remained active. The No Azure for Apartheid group called September’s decision a “significant and unprecedented victory” but vowed to continue until all demands are met. Microsoft did not comment on Sutfin-Glowski’s resignation.