cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/28202261
The international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement are calling on people to cancel Game Pass subscriptions, avoid Microsoft-owned video game properties such as Minecraft and Call Of Duty, and boycott all Microsoft Gaming and Xbox-branded products in protest at the company’s reported business connections with the Israeli military.
The call follows allegations this January about the Israeli military’s usage of Microsoft’s Azure cloud technology and artificial intelligence products in the course of its bombardment and invasion of Gaza.
According to a joint investigation between the Guardian, Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and Hebrew-language outlet Local Call, with additional reporting from Drop Site News, Microsoft have “deepened” their relationship with Israel’s defence establishment since 7th October 2023, when several Palestinian militant groups struck across the border and massacred over a thousand people. Israel responded to the attack by mounting a ground offensive and airstrikes that have destroyed much of Gaza and killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
I agree with all of this, my point is your Xbox controller is a Microsoft product? And if you purchase or play any games owned by Microsoft, they are also Microsoft products? So you would need to boycott all of that as well. That is just a much larger net cast than just not using Windows.
BDS does not imply you stop using whatever you already own. it’s about preventing future purchases
Divest? Sell?
institutions should divest from future and present contracts. most consumers don’t have contracts with Microsoft. selling your electronics doesn’t hurt them in any way nor is that something that BDS asks for on their website:
https://bdsmovement.net/microsoft
Again, agreed. The original poster said “use Linux, that will remove everything Microsoft”. That is disingenuous, because you can use Linux and still purchase Microsoft products compatible with Linux. So my point was not to toss your existing items. However, you cannot replace your existing physical Microsoft products, purchase new digital content, or support any of Microsoft software in addition to switching from Windows. I didn’t imply anything about what you may already own.