An artificial intelligence company backed by Microsoft is helping Israel surveil Palestinians

An Israeli startup invested in heavily by American companies, including Microsoft, produces facial recognition software used to conduct biometric surveillance on Palestinians, investigations by NBC and Haaretz revealed. In June, Microsoft -- which has touted its framework for ethical use of facial recognition -- joined a group investment of $78 million to AnyVision, an international tech company based in Israel. One of AnyVision's flagship products is Better Tomorrow, a program that allows the tracking of objects and people on live video feeds, even tracking between independent camera feeds. AnyVision's facial recognition software is at the heart of a military mass surveillance project in the West Bank, according to the NBC and Haaretz reporting. An Israeli Defense Forces statement in February acknowledged the addition of facial recognition verification technology to at least 27 checkpoints between Israel and the West Bank to "upgrade the crossings" and, in an effort to "deter terror attacks," rapidly installed a network of over 1,700 cameras across the occupied territories.