Microsoft said on Wednesday that it does not believe the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is conducting mass surveillance of civilians using the company’s technology, while confirming that it provides cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools to ICE.
The company issued the comment in reaction to a media report that said ICE expanded its reliance on Microsoft’s cloud services last year as the agency stepped up arrest and deportation operations. The report said ICE more than tripled the volume of data stored in Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform in the six months leading up to January 2026, during a period when the agency’s budget increased and its workforce grew rapidly. That report also said ICE appeared to be employing a range of Microsoft productivity offerings and AI-driven products to search and analyze data held in Azure.
In a prepared statement, a Microsoft spokesperson said: "As we’ve previously said, Microsoft provides cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools to DHS (Department of Homeland Security, of which ICE is a part) and ICE, delivered through our key partners." The company added, "Microsoft policies and terms of service do not allow our technology to be used for the mass surveillance of civilians, and we do not believe ICE is engaged in such activity."
Microsoft also urged that the U.S. Congress, the executive branch and the courts establish "clear legal lines" to delineate what law enforcement agencies may do with emerging technologies.
ICE declined to discuss specifics about investigative techniques, tools or technologies used in active criminal probes, saying only that it uses various forms of technology to support the arrest of criminals.
Critics of the current U.S. administration’s immigration policies have argued those measures create unsafe conditions and fall short on due process. The agency has been singled out as emblematic of the administration’s enforcement approach, particularly following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens last month. The President has defended the measures as efforts to improve domestic security and reduce illegal immigration.
Technology companies have been working to manage their relationships with the administration during its second term in office. Microsoft itself has faced prior scrutiny over governmental use of its services. In September of last year, the company said it removed or disabled certain services used by an Israeli military unit after preliminary evidence supported a media investigation that reported mass surveillance of Palestinian phone calls. That episode prompted internal protests at the company, and some employees involved in the demonstrations were dismissed.
Summary
Microsoft confirmed it supplies cloud productivity and collaboration tools to ICE but stated it does not believe the agency is using those technologies to carry out mass surveillance of civilians. The comment followed a media report asserting that ICE substantially increased its data stored in Azure and used a range of Microsoft tools, including AI-driven products, to analyze that data over a six-month period ending January 2026. Microsoft reiterated that its policies prohibit mass surveillance and called for clear legal boundaries from lawmakers and the courts.
Key points
- Microsoft acknowledges providing cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools to ICE and DHS through partner channels.
- A media report said ICE more than tripled data stored in Azure in the six months leading to January 2026 and used additional Microsoft tools, including AI-driven products, to search and analyze that data.
- Microsoft says its terms prohibit the use of its technology for mass civilian surveillance and calls for Congress, the executive branch and the courts to define legal limits on law enforcement uses of emerging tech.
Risks and uncertainties
- Regulatory uncertainty - Lack of clear legal boundaries for law enforcement use of emerging technologies could lead to policy shifts affecting cloud and AI service providers, impacting the technology sector and public-sector procurement.
- Reputational and operational risk - Continued scrutiny over government use of commercial technology can prompt internal dissent, customer concerns and potential operational changes for cloud providers.
- Enforcement transparency - Limited commentary from ICE on specific investigative tools and techniques creates uncertainty for oversight bodies and civil liberties advocates, with possible consequences for agencies involved in immigration enforcement.