Brian Eno Criticizes Microsoft: From Windows 95 Sound Creator to Aiding Israeli Military

Thirty years following the creation of the renowned Windows 95 start-up sound,
Brian Eno
has published an open letter to Microsoft, calling out the company for selling technology to Israel amid the country’s highly criticized war against Hamas.

In a statement labeled “Not in My Name: An Open Letter to Microsoft From Brian Eno” shared on Instagram on Wednesday (May 21), the producer started by saying, “During the mid-1990s, I was approached to create a brief musical composition for Microsoft’s Windows 95 operating system.”

Potentially millions, perhaps even billions, have subsequently listened to that brief startup sound, symbolizing access to an exciting tech-driven tomorrow,” he went on. “It’s unimaginable to me that this very organization could someday find itself associated with the mechanisms of suppression and conflict.

Eno’s comments follow shortly after Microsoft admitted
an unsigned blogpost
that it provided sophisticated artificial intelligence and cloud computing services to the Israeli military — along with assisting in operations to find and free Israeli hostages — during the conflict in Gaza. Since Hamas launched an attack on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 Israelis and capturing over 250 others, violence has surged throughout the city. This was followed by Israel’s offensive against the militant organization, resulting in more than 53,000 Palestinian fatalities, according to reports.
Associated Press
.

In February,
AP
issued an investigative report revealing that the Israeli military utilized Microsoft’s Azure platform for transcribing, translating, and processing intelligence obtained via extensive surveillance as part of their wartime operations. The report also disclosed new information regarding the company’s collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

Following expressions of concern from both staff and the general populace regarding its purported ties with Israel, the technology corporation addressed these issues in a blog post detailing an internal investigation. The statement explains, “Our examination revealed no indication that Microsoft’s Azure and artificial intelligence technologies—or any of our other products—have been employed to cause harm, nor did we find instances where IMOD violated our service agreements or AI guidelines.” It also emphasized, “It should be noted that Microsoft cannot monitor how clients utilize our software on systems outside our control.”

Despite this, Eno asserts that the firm bears “an ethical duty” to halt its commercial ties with Israel. As per his statement: “‘These services’ bolster a political system implicated by prominent jurists, human rights groups, UN specialists, and numerous international administrations in acts deemed genocidal.” He further elaborated, “Supplying and streamlining sophisticated artificial intelligence and cloud technologies to a state involved in widespread ethnic purging cannot be considered routine commerce; rather, it constitutes active collaboration.”

The artist signed off his message by committing to contribute the original payment he got for composing the music for Windows 95 to assist those affected by assaults in Gaza. He finished with, “Should a melody herald genuine transformation, let it start with this tune.”

newsinpo.site
has reached out to Microsoft for comment about Eno’s open letter.

The composer has been an important figure in Microsoft’s history for 30 years now, with his ethereal seconds-long theme soundtracking the startup process of countless people’s very first home computers all over the world. In 2025, the U.S. Library of Congress
added the jingle
to its
National Recording Registry
, which records and maintains important national audio materials.

See Eno’s full statement below.