Windows is Microsoft’s flagship operating system, installed on hundreds of millions of devices worldwide. Its dominance over personal and enterprise computing has been sustained through monopolistic practices that limit user choice and entrench dependency on Microsoft’s ecosystem. Windows is frequently bundled with surveillance-heavy defaults, including telemetry features that track user behaviour, raising long-standing privacy concerns. Its ubiquity also makes it a critical foundation for state and corporate systems that rely on Microsoft contracts—including those tied to policing, surveillance, and military infrastructure.
Microsoft receives a High Impact rating because it provides vital infrastructure that powers Israeli government surveillance systems, biometric tracking, and military operations in Gaza and the West Bank. Unlike consumer-oriented firms, Microsoft builds the backbone of apartheid architecture through AI, cloud, and software systems deployed by Israeli authorities. The company’s disregard for internal dissent and continued partnership despite evidence of human rights abuses further cements its alignment with occupation policies.