Iran’s recent call to delete WhatsApp, accusing the messaging platform of passing user data to Israel, has reignited questions about the relationship between Big Tech and Israeli intelligence.
While WhatsApp’s parent company Meta strongly denies the claims, insisting its app does not track precise locations or provide bulk data to governments, a 2022 investigation by MintPress News painted a troubling picture of how deeply entwined Israeli military surveillance units, especially Unit 8200, are with the world’s leading tech companies.
What is Unit 8200?
Put simply, Unit 8200 is the nerve centre of Israel’s cyberwarfare and surveillance operations.
Comparable to the NSA in the United States, it handles spying, hacking, cyber operations, and intelligence gathering on a global scale.
Since October 7, 2023, Unit 8200 has been at the forefront of Israel’s military intelligence campaign in Gaza. It is widely reported to have developed an AI-powered "kill list" software that flagged tens of thousands of Palestinians for assassination during the early months of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
The unit uses extensive surveillance infrastructure to monitor Palestinians, collecting personal data through facial recognition cameras, phone taps, messages, emails, and online activity.
Unit 8200 has also been linked to global cyber operations, including the infamous Pegasus spyware, which was used to hack the phones of journalists, dissidents and heads of state.
The Big Tech connection
The 2022 MintPress investigation by journalist Alan MacLeod revealed that hundreds of former Unit 8200 operatives now work for Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta, the very companies that manage much of the world’s digital infrastructure and communication.
Many of these former officers now hold senior positions in data security, privacy management, and platform governance. Some were hired immediately after leaving the military.
Meta, which owns WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, has been a major recruiter of Unit 8200 veterans. One of the key decision-makers on Meta’s Oversight Board, which decides what content stays up or is censored, is a former Israeli justice ministry official and Unit 8200 veteran.
During her time in government, she helped run a department that pushed for the removal of pro-Palestinian content from social media. WhatsApp has not been directly accused of hiring Unit 8200 officers, but its parent company is heavily staffed by them — including in areas handling data and security for billions of users.
Microsoft, too, employs more than 160 former Unit 8200 members, many of whom work in cybersecurity roles, including for products like Microsoft Azure and Defender Antivirus.
Agreement between Google, Amazon and Israel govt?
The investigation also linked Big Tech to military contracts with Israel. Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion agreement between Google, Amazon and the Israeli government, aims to provide AI and surveillance tools for military use.
The project sparked employee protests inside both companies, with hundreds accusing their employers of enabling human rights abuses.
The MintPress report also warned that the sheer scale of ex-spies managing the digital lives of billions poses a threat to privacy, transparency and accountability.
Unlike intelligence personnel from Iran, Russia or Venezuela, Unit 8200 alumni are actively hired by Western tech firms.
Their presence in critical roles raises serious concerns about whether Big Tech platforms can truly operate independently or whether they’re becoming extensions of state surveillance.