The Xbox Network underpins Microsoft’s video game ecosystem, connecting millions of players globally. While often viewed as entertainment, Xbox infrastructure feeds into the company’s broader data collection and cloud services model. Microsoft has been criticised for monetisation practices targeting children and young people, including manipulative in-game purchase systems. The Xbox Network also ties consumer entertainment into the same corporate structure profiting from surveillance, exploitative supply chains, and military-aligned contracts—illustrating how even leisure platforms are part of systemic harm.
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.