Cory Doctorow: Microsoft's alleged pattern of revoking services for Trump's political targets raises trust concerns

Summary

Cory Doctorow reports on a pattern where Microsoft allegedly revokes access to its services (like Office 365) for individuals who have angered Donald Trump, citing the case of the ICC chief prosecutor who lost access to Office 365 after issuing an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, and a similar incident involving a Brazilian judge who sentenced Jair Bolsonaro. Microsoft claims these were coincidences, but Doctorow argues this demonstrates how American tech companies can be weaponized for political retaliation, raising concerns about the over-centralization of internet services under US jurisdiction.