Microsoft has updated its digital mapping services to align with international law by removing Israeli-specific designations for locations in the occupied West Bank.
The tech giant implemented the changes across its platforms, including the Bing search engine, following advocacy from digital rights groups.
The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media, known as 7amleh, confirmed that Microsoft replaced the labels “Judea and Samaria, Israel” with the term “West Bank.”
The former is a term used by the Israeli state to describe the occupied territory, which contradicts the international legal consensus that recognizes the West Bank and East Jerusalem as Palestinian territories under Israeli occupation.
According to 7amleh, these updates ensure that location-based services no longer misidentify occupied land as part of Israel.
The organization noted that the West Bank remains a central component of any future Palestinian state, making accurate digital representation a matter of legal and political necessity.
Lama Nazeeh, the advocacy manager at 7amleh, described the move as a “necessary correction” in a statement regarding the update. Nazeeh emphasized the responsibility of global technology firms to adhere to international standards rather than facilitating the digital erasure of Palestinian geography.
