BDS calls for boycott of Microsoft and Xbox gaming products over alleged Israeli military connections
BDS calls for boycott of Microsoft and Xbox gaming products over alleged Israeli military connections
The international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement are calling on people to cancel Game Pass subscriptions, a…
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.
use linux. that will remove everything microsoft.
i made the change a few years back, and my wife made the change a few months ago. #worth
Well except for any Xbox peripherals such as controllers, or games published or made by studios owned by Microsoft. It's not just Windows OS.
my xbox controller works fine on linux. and I don't feel the need to stay for xbox exclusive software anymore. this isnt 1998. Software comparable or better than microsoft-made applications and programs are numerous now. you can choose freely. and proton is extremely powerful now.
the world needs to move on from windows and microsoft. its time.
Well, it's not so simple for gaming. People who don't already own a gaming PC will need to drop a lot of money to buy one, and then get used to gaming on Linux (which can be janky, as I'm sure you know).
But, it's worth it. Our convenience shouldn't cost us our humanity.
I game on a former Windows 11 laptop that now runs Linux. I have never owned a "real" gaming PC in my entire life and do not intend to drop any money on one. However, not having enough money to drop on a new laptop to run Linux because you have a more pressing need than gaming to have to still use Windows is still understandable. It's less than the full-blown fancy gaming PC with its GPUs, but it's still money.
Not really facing any jank myself thanks to the whole Steam Deck compatibility thing, but I also did have to tinker with one game a bit to make it work. I have had one game demo for a small indie not run so far. Other than that, very smooth experience.
gaming on linux is not janky. it is quite nice, and it leaves all of the MS UX nightmares at home.
i agree theat computers can be expensive, and are getting more expensive. if its for gaming, the games will be waaaaaaay cheaper, so one will have to look at the savings in the long run (especially by not having a subscription to use the product)
the Israeli military’s usage of Microsoft’s Azure cloud technology and artificial intelligence products
Genuine question, but doesn't this just mean that Israel paid for a Microsoft Azure subscription and used it to host web services? Like, anyone can do that. What am I missing here, exactly?
They say Microsoft have "deepened" their relationship, but how did they do that, exactly?
they answer your question in detail on their own website
Two steps ahead of you
a question to parents/guardians of kids playing Minecraft or other Microsoft games:
if they uninstall the Microsoft version of Minecraft and switch to a pirated launcher, does that respect the BDS demands? also, does playing it on Linux Mint from the Software Manager benefit Microsoft in any way?
I'm aware of similar media boycotts such as SAG/AFTRA telling people not to promote targeted media projects publicly. Ofc, BDS is a different organization but I'm hoping someone could clarify if not promoting Minecraft while still playing is sufficient? I'm not personally invested in continuing to play, but would like to find ways to inspire my young relative to consume consciously.
The most important thing in boycotts is not giving them (more) money, and not promoting their goods/services. You can't get your money back from already bought things, so you can use or buy used stuff from other person.
Regarding Minecraft, the most effective is to avoid all its subscriptions and new purchases. But there are more actions, like not promoting and not playing. It is more about what you can do at the moment. Usually, listening and sharing the bad things done by the company helps you decide what can you do rn.
Fuuuuuccckkk
Bruh name a mainstream Corp that isn't pro Israel. I don't even understand why these fuckers are so obsessed with fairies, rocks, and dirt