ADL And JLens Tell Microsoft Holders To Vote Down Two Human Rights Reports, Citing A Boycott Campaign
The groups say Proposals 5 and 6 serve a push against Microsoft's Israel ties; last year's versions drew about 74% and 73% opposition.
The Anti-Defamation League and JLens, its affiliated Jewish-values investment adviser, urged Microsoft shareholders on Wednesday to vote against two human rights reporting proposals, arguing they advance a wider boycott campaign against the company's Israel business. The vote comes at Microsoft's annual meeting on December 8, 2026.
Two proposals, two prior defeats
The groups, in a notice of exempt solicitation (a filing that lets them lobby holders without seeking proxy cards), oppose Proposal 5, a report on human rights due diligence, and Proposal 6, a report on data operations in human rights and conflict hotspots.
Proposal 5 renews last year's Proposal 9, which about 74% of votes cast opposed. Proposal 6 follows Proposal 8, which about 73% opposed. Proposal 9 won about 26% support.
The proposals ask the board for reports. Proposal 5 would assess how well Microsoft's due diligence prevents customer misuse of its AI and cloud products that violates human rights. Proposal 6 would assess the implications of siting data centers in countries seen as having significant human rights concerns.
Israel named in both proposals
The filers say Israel is the only country named in the text of both proposals, though Microsoft does business in more than 200 countries and regions. Proposal 6 names Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates too; its 2025 predecessor named only Saudi Arabia.
By JLens's count, roughly 50 of the 89 footnotes in the proponents' September 2026 investor briefing concern Israel. The groups say that is about four times as many as all the briefing's other examples combined.
The filers argue that a vote for reporting can be recast as backing for boycott goals. They note that after last year's vote, the group Eko told GeekWire the result showed growing concern about Microsoft's contracts with the Israeli military, though shareholders were never asked to endorse boycott or divestment. JLens says 47 of the 500 largest U.S. public companies were targeted by prominent boycott campaigns in 2025, up from 38 in 2024.
Microsoft's record, per the filers
ADL and JLens say Microsoft has already expanded its disclosures. After reports about an Israeli military unit's use of Azure, they say, the company ran an external investigation, discontinued certain services to a unit within the Israeli Ministry of Defense and published its first Human Rights Transparency Report. They say it is unclear what material information the new reports would add.
The filers also make a business case. Microsoft opened its Israel research center in 1991, and the center employs about 1% of the company's 223,000-person workforce. The filers say it cost about $840 million to run in 2023.
Microsoft, which makes Windows, Microsoft 365, the Azure cloud platform and Xbox, is valued at $3.95 trillion.
Shareholders vote on Proposals 5 and 6 at the December 8, 2026 meeting, with last year's roughly 26% support for Proposal 9 as the mark to beat.
Sources
- PX14A6G — JLens re: MICROSOFT CORP (MSFT) — SEC EDGAR
