Is It Time to Boycott Microsoft? Employee Emails Blocked Over Palestine Terms as Protests Shake Internal Culture

Internal reports from Microsoft employees allege the company has blocked emails that contain specific terms including "Palestine," "Gaza," and "genocide." The filtering, according to a group of activist employees, did not affect messages referencing "Israel" or those using modified spellings such as "P4lestine."

The activist coalition, No Azure for Apartheid, made up of Microsoft workers critical of the company’s relationship with Israel, says the block affected both internal and outgoing messages. The group reported that many employees, across departments, found their emails undelivered if the flagged terms appeared in either the subject line or the body.

These allegations surfaced shortly after a series of high-profile protests staged by the group during Microsoft’s annual Build developer conference. Demonstrations disrupted keynotes and panel discussions throughout the week. On May 19, an employee identified as Joe Lopez interrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s address and was subsequently fired. Additional protests followed on subsequent days, including actions involving both current and former staff members.

The group views the email restrictions as a form of workplace censorship. “This is an attempt to silence workers and punish those who speak out in support of Palestinian rights,” the group stated, arguing the policy disproportionately affects Palestinian employees and their allies.

Microsoft, when questioned, confirmed that it had implemented steps to limit mass emails it described as “politically motivated.” The company cited the need to keep internal communication channels focused on work-related matters. It emphasized that employees interested in political issues could use a separate opt-in forum provided by the company.

Meanwhile, Microsoft continues to face scrutiny over its ties to the Israeli government. Activists allege that Azure cloud services support Israeli military operations. The company has denied this, saying a third-party investigation found no proof that its technology had been used to harm civilians in Gaza.

In a statement, Microsoft acknowledged it had provided limited support to Israel during a hostage crisis in October 2023 but emphasized that assistance was closely monitored and aligned with the company’s values. “We evaluated requests case-by-case, granting some and rejecting others,” the statement read, adding that the company aimed to help save lives while protecting civilian rights.

The controversy places Microsoft at the intersection of worker activism, global politics, and corporate responsibility, raising broader questions about how tech companies manage internal dissent and international partnerships in a polarized geopolitical climate.

Its is important to note that Microsoft is not alone in facing scrutiny. Other tech giants, such as Google, Amazon, and Meta, have also been criticized for their involvement in or silence around the crisis in Gaza. Google and Amazon, in particular, have faced internal backlash over Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion cloud contract with the Israeli government, which employees allege could enable surveillance and military operations against Palestinians. Meta has been repeatedly accused of suppressing Palestinian content on its platforms while allowing inflammatory material from other sources to circulate. Critics argue that these companies, in prioritizing lucrative government contracts and geopolitical neutrality, have undergone a form of moral death — abandoning ethical leadership in favor of silence, profit, or complicity. As calls for accountability grow louder, these firms must now confront the ethical weight of their technologies and the human consequences of their business decisions.

In response to the growing criticism of tech companies seen as complicit in the oppression of Palestinians, public backlash has manifested through widespread boycotts and divestment campaigns. Consumers around the world have increasingly turned away from businesses that openly support or maintain ties with companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon—especially those involved in contracts with the Israeli government. Activists have urged users to cancel subscriptions, delete accounts, and switch to alternative platforms, framing consumer choice as a form of resistance. These grassroots efforts reflect a rising global demand for ethical accountability in the tech industry and signal that public trust can no longer be taken for granted when human rights are at stake.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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• Why So Many People Stay Up Late on Their Phones (Even When They’re Tired)
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Why So Many People Stay Up Late on Their Phones (Even When They’re Tired)

Many people go to bed late, even when they feel very tired. They say they want to sleep, but still stay awake—scrolling on their phones, watching videos, or just doing nothing. Why does this happen?

It’s not always about bad habits or poor time management. For a lot of people, staying up late feels like the only time they have for themselves. This is something experts now callrevenge bedtime procrastination.

It means someone delays sleep on purpose, not because they can’t sleep, but because they want to enjoy some personal time—especially after a long, busy day.

People Want Control Over Their Time

More than half of adults in the U.S. say their work or daily schedule gives them no time for themselves. This can be stressful. When the day ends, and things finally become quiet, many people feel like it’s their only chance to do something just for themselves.

So they stay awake.

Even if they’re tired, they don’t want to sleep yet. Sleeping feels like losing the last part of the day that belongs to them.

What Do People Do Instead of Sleeping?

There are many reasons people stay up at night. Some want to relax. Others just want to avoid the next day. Some people don’t even enjoy it—they just can’t stop the habit.

Here are the most common reasons people stay up late:

Activity	% of People
Using their phone (scrolling)	50%
Watching videos or shows	45%
Enjoying quiet time alone	42%
Relaxing after work or family duties	40%
Just not feeling like going to bed	39%
Feeling anxious or stressed before sleep	29%
Spending time with others	28%
Doing hobbies or creative activities	23%
Staying up out of habit, not enjoyment	23%
Feeling like they didn’t do enough today	18%
Delaying the start of tomorrow	16%

Some of these reasons are emotional. Others are just about having time for fun or peace. But even small choices can add up, and less sleep every night can lead to problems over time.

The Platforms That Keep Us Awake

Technology plays a big role in why people stay up. Many apps and websites are designed to keep you using them. They show more content, play the next video automatically, or keep refreshing your feed.

Here are the most common platforms that people use late at night:

Platform	% Who Use It Before Sleep
YouTube	42%
Reddit	35%
Netflix	32%
Instagram	30%
TikTok	28%
Facebook	27%
Video games	20%
Hulu	16%
Prime Video	14%
Max (HBO)	12%

Data: Amerisleep.

These platforms are popular because they are entertaining. But they can easily take away hours of sleep if we don’t notice the time passing.

Can Technology Help Us Sleep Instead?

Technology is part of the problem, but it can also help. Many phones and apps now have settings to remind you when it’s time to sleep. You can also set limits on how long you use certain apps at night.

Other tools that can help:

• Sleep tracking appsto understand your sleep habits.

• Night modeorblue light filtersto reduce eye strain.

• Relaxing music or guided sleep stories.

• Putting your phone away from your bedto avoid temptation.

These small changes don’t fix everything, but they can make sleep a little easier to choose.

In the End, It’s About Balance

When people stay up late, it’s not because they don’t care about sleep. It’s because they feel they have no other time for themselves. In some ways, it’s an act of freedom. But when it happens every night, it starts to affect health, mood, and energy.

It’s important to create moments of personal time during the day—even just 15 minutes—to help the mind rest. That way, sleep doesn’t feel like something we need to fight.

Sleep is not the enemy. Sometimes, it just feels that way when life is too full.

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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Rising Digital Discontent: UK Gen Z Shows Deep Regret Over Online Life

In the United Kingdom, disillusionment with the digital world is taking root among young people. A new study reveals that many aged 16 to 21 are beginning to question the internet’s role in their lives, with a significant portion stating they'd rather exist in a world where it never developed.

The research, conducted by the British Standards Association, surveyed 1,293 individuals in this age range. Its results reflect a profound shift that is nearly half of the participants expressed a desire to live disconnected from the web, a sentiment that underscores growing emotional strain linked to modern digital habits.

When asked about social platforms, a large majority admitted feeling worse after browsing apps such as Instagram and TikTok. This aligns with broader concerns that these platforms erode confidence, increase anxiety, and diminish self-worth, especially among teens who find themselves trapped in cycles of comparison and constant notification.

Alarmingly, the study also sheds light on risky behaviors that have become normalized online. Four out of ten respondents admitted to misrepresenting their age to access content or services not intended for their demographic. Similarly, a sizable percentage reported using deceptive accounts to conceal their identity or impersonate others—actions that point to a broader issue of online insecurity and fractured self-image.

One in four participants said they had shared their real-time location with individuals they had never met in person, a behavior that raises serious safety questions. This type of digital openness, especially among younger users, has triggered calls from campaigners for tighter platform design rules, as reactive parental controls and curfews appear insufficient on their own.

Many of those surveyed also supported the concept of a structured limit on screen time, particularly in the form of a 10 p.m. cut-off for apps widely seen as addictive. This backing for digital curfews signals a notable reversal—young users, rather than just older policymakers, are beginning to ask for guardrails.

Some respondents tied their online dependence to the global lockdowns of recent years, which confined social interaction to screens and made scrolling an everyday norm. For this age group, which came of age during a uniquely digital chapter of history, the psychological aftershocks are still unfolding.

While curfews and restrictions may offer short-term relief, many experts believe a larger overhaul is necessary. Platforms, they argue, must take greater responsibility in designing for well-being rather than engagement alone.

This generational wake-up call doesn’t come from parents or educators—it comes from Gen Z itself, now pushing back against a hyper-connected world it once embraced.

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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

News Media Alliance Denounces Google’s AI Mode Rollout, Citing Harm to Publishers

Following Google’s I/O event announcement that its new “AI Mode” will soon become standard for all U.S. search users, the News Media Alliance issued a sharp rebuke, calling out the growing threat this feature poses to online publishers.

The new interface weaves a chatbot experience directly into the core of Google Search, offering summarized answers drawn from across the web. Though branded as an improvement for users, the update raises serious concerns for those who produce original content.

The alliance, representing a broad group of media outlets, argued that Google’s shift further distances audiences from source material, reducing the flow of traffic to publisher websites. With fewer outbound clicks, revenue and visibility for news producers diminish—while Google keeps users and advertisers inside its own ecosystem.

In the alliance’s view, the search engine has crossed a critical line. The last meaningful connection between platforms and publishers—clickable links—is now at risk of becoming obsolete. They believe this shift undermines the foundation of digital journalism, where exposure and monetization depend heavily on being discoverable through search.

Earlier this month, the group lent its support to the ongoing antitrust case targeting Google’s market behavior. Submitting a legal filing, it emphasized the need for publishers to gain more control over how their work is used in AI-generated outputs. They called for new policy tools that allow media organizations to withhold participation in AI training or summarization, especially when such tools bypass original content creators.

Meanwhile, internal discussions at Google, recently revealed by Bloomberg, suggest that the company has no intention of granting opt-out choices to publishers who wish to stay visible in search but avoid being scraped for generative models. For many in the media sector, this development highlights what they see as a deliberate strategy by Google: absorb the value of original content while denying its creators a voice in how that value gets repurposed.

For the News/Media Alliance and its members, the conflict is no longer about influence—it’s about survival. With search behavior being reshaped by AI, the group is urging regulators to act before Google’s dominance becomes even more entrenched.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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These Are the Key Chatbots Competing for Your Attention

Over the past decade, major tech companies have driven AI innovation by launching their own chatbot models. This surge has created a highly competitive market, with each company striving to outperform the others in capabilities and performance.

Although these AI chatbots often deliver similar functions and results, there are still subtle yet important differences among them. Below is a list of the most prominent AI chatbots, along with a breakdown of their key similarities and distinctions.

Alexa

Developed by Amazon, it is a voice-based and text-based platform, working as an AI assistant. The chatbot provides the seamless switching from voice to text for the input. It also gives users updates about current weather, sports and news.

Assistant

Before Gemini, Google used Assistant as its main AI model. It is a virtual assistant which is able to perform many tasks and answer questions. Moreover, it can also control devices which can run using the AI model.

Bixby

Developed by Samsung Electronics, the main purpose of Bixby is to assist Samsung device users in using its devices. The AI assistant can set an alarm, can show reminders, can make calls and send messages on Samsung devices.

Along with this, the model can integrate with other Samsung apps and services. The model is also capable of controlling and running Samsung mobile features, like settings and apps.

Braina

Developed for Windows, this AI assistant provides help to Windows users in launching apps, controlling settings, sending emails and answering questions.

This chatbot also has the ability to learn behaviour of users and then give personalized suggestions. This feature makes it more user friendly.

Celia

Celia is an AI assistant developed by Huawei. It is a Chinese response to western AI chatbots.

Just like other chatbots mentioned above, it provides assistance to Huawei's users through voice assistance, device management and device control. Moreover, personalised support is also given.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT made AI chatbots really famous globally. This OpenAI chatbot, used by millions, leverages a high level of machine learning and language processing to generate contextual responses.

Because it can generate answers based on context and words used, its responses mimicked human language and behaviour. This quality made it a hit around the world and forced other tech companies to compete in AI.

Chai

Chai AI is a platform that allows users to interact with various chatbots. This interaction provides users with information, and they can share their stories and thoughts.

Because various chatbots are involved and it is based on large language models, it creates a human-like scenario of companionship for users.

Claude

Claude is a conversational assistant. It uses natural language to communicate with humans and give them responses and information.

Developed by Anthropic, It performs the basic function of communication, which is present in all AI chatbots.

Cleverbot

Cleverbot has been around since 2008. So it is older than most AI chatbots. Because it is older, it performs the function of communication at the most basic level. Therefore, it is simpler than most chatbots.

Clova

Clova was developed by South Korean company, Naver. It is an AI assistant that provides voice assistance and conversational AI. The platform also does image recognition and natural language processing.

Most of the features it has are common among all AI chatbots, especially those chatbots developed in the last five years.

Copilot

Microsoft's Copilot is developed to help users in various technical tasks. These tasks include coding, editing, writing, data analysis etc.

It also gives suggestions, automates tasks, and helps as an assistant across Microsoft applications and devices.

DeepSeek

DeepSeek is China's reply to western AI models, such ChatGPT and Gemini. Its functions are similar to ChatGPT's or Gemini's. There are slight differences in results though.

It uses natural language processing and gives human-like responses to users. Also, DeepSeek has a code generation feature, which coders can utilize.

Ernie Bot

Another chatbot developed by a Chinese tech company, Baidu. Ernie stands for Enhanced Representation Through Knowledge Integration. Just like ChatGPT and Deepseek, it uses large language models to generate human-like text and replies according to context.

These similar chatbots are mainly used for information purposes. As said above, all of them give slightly varied responses.

GigaChat

GigaChat is a generative AI chatbot developed by Russian financial giant Sberbank and launched in April 2023 as a domestic alternative to ChatGPT. Designed to handle a wide range of complex and everyday tasks, GigaChat can participate in conversations, generate text and code, respond to questions, compile analytical reports, and assist with writing in various formats and styles. It also helps manage large volumes of text and simplifies information retrieval. As of February 2024, GigaChat had over 2.5 million users. It is particularly optimized for the Russian language, outperforming many global competitors in that area, though its multilingual capabilities remain limited. In December 2024, GigaChat added music and vocal generation, allowing users to create songs across any genre and voice style without restrictions.

Gemini

Gemini was Google's response to the emerging competitive AI market. It has proven to be efficient and an equal to other top AI chatbots in the world.

Similarly, it is used for information and inquiries. Gemini and other such chatbots are being used for creative and unique works, like generative images etc. 

Grok

Grok was X's AI model to compete with latest AI models, like Gemini and Chatgpt. So far, its performance has also been satisfactory.

It generates human-like responses and generative images. Again, it is mostly used for information purposes throughout the world. What makes it different from other that it's image generation feature allows users to create influencers and personalities most other AI's don't allow.

Meta AI

Meta AI is developed by Meta (formerly Facebook) as part of its broader push into artificial intelligence and virtual interaction. It powers various products, including smart assistants in Meta's apps like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The assistant can handle tasks like answering queries, summarizing messages, suggesting replies, and providing real-time information. Meta AI also integrates with the company's augmented and virtual reality platforms, such as Meta Quest, enhancing user experience in immersive environments. Its generative capabilities and multimodal functions continue to evolve, positioning Meta AI as a key player in the competitive chatbot landscape.

Perplexity

Perplexity is a fast-rising AI chatbot and search assistant designed to provide real-time, citation-backed answers. Unlike traditional chatbots that rely solely on pre-trained models, Perplexity integrates live web search results to generate accurate, up-to-date responses. It emphasizes transparency by showing sources for its answers, helping users verify information instantly. With a clean interface and support for both concise and in-depth responses, Perplexity is widely used for research, fact-checking, and learning. Its growing popularity has positioned it as a credible alternative to more established AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini.

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Google Just Launched a Tool That Tells You If Something Was Made by Its AI

Google has launched a new online tool that lets people check whether an image, video, audio file, or text snippet was generated using its own artificial intelligence. The tool, called SynthID Detector, went live Tuesday during the company’s I/O 2025 event (though live now for just for select beta tester).

At its core, SynthID Detector works like a kind of reverse fingerprint scanner. Users can upload a piece of content, and the system looks for invisible markers left behind by Google’s AI models. If the tool picks up those digital watermarks, it flags the content — whether the whole thing or just part of it — as AI-made.

The timing of the launch isn’t random. AI-generated media along with a flood of misinformation have been flooding social platforms and search results at a pace that’s hard to track. Deepfake videos alone have exploded in number, rising more than fivefold between 2019 and last year, according to industry estimates. And it’s not just obscure corners of the web: some of the most popular Facebook posts in the U.S. last fall were clearly AI-built, based on public reports.

Still, this isn’t a silver bullet. SynthID Detector can only recognize content made with Google’s watermarking tech — which means anything generated by tools from OpenAI, Meta, or Microsoft flies under its radar. And even when Google’s own tools are used, the watermarking isn’t flawless. The company has said as much: in particular, it admits that AI-written text can sometimes slip past undetected if the content is altered or reformatted.

Even so, Google points to the scale of adoption so far. Since it introduced SynthID back in 2023, more than 10 billion pieces of media have been stamped with its watermark, according to internal numbers.

Whether that will be enough to keep pace with the growing flood of synthetic content is another question — but for now, Google is betting that more transparency is at least a step in the right direction.

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Google Expands Search Live to iOS and Search, Bringing Real-Time Visual Conversations Across Platforms

Google has unveiled an expanded rollout of its AI-powered Search Live feature, adding new ways for users to engage with the world through their smartphone cameras. Announced during its I/O developer event, the tool blends visual understanding and real-time conversation, allowing users to point their camera at any object and receive instant responses from Google Search.

Initially developed under Project Astra, the feature first appeared in Gemini Live on Android, enabling live camera sharing with Google’s AI. It allowed the system to interpret real-world scenes—like identifying ingredients or suggesting related content—by continuously analyzing the camera feed. Now, Google is bringing that same functionality directly into Search’s evolving AI Mode, making it accessible to a broader audience.

Users will be able to activate the experience by tapping a new Live icon, available in both Google Lens and AI Mode. Once the camera is active, they can ask context-aware questions, and Search Live will reply with tailored answers, helpful links, and relevant media—adapting to whatever the user points at.



The update doesn’t stop there. Google is also integrating Search Live into the Gemini app for iOS, marking the feature’s first arrival on Apple devices. Previously limited to Android, it was tested on the Pixel 9 and Galaxy S25 before expanding to wider availability. Although initially positioned as a premium-only feature under Gemini Advanced, Google has now made it freely accessible across both Android and iOS platforms.

Rollout is expected to begin later this summer, with early access available through Google Labs. The tool joins a wider push toward a more immersive AI-driven experience in Search, with upcoming features like Deep Search for research tasks and web automation agents also on the roadmap.

By placing vision and voice at the center of search, Google is reshaping how people explore their surroundings—merging observation and inquiry into a seamless interaction layer powered by real-time AI understanding.

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