A new episode on the endless conflict between privacy and security, the US demands Microsoft to provide customer data stored in Ireland. Microsoft says they’re having none of that.
The US government has issued a search warrant for Microsoft’s customer emails stored in Ireland on the pretext of fighting crime. Microsoft responded by issuing a series of objections to the order, claiming that “the government takes the extraordinary position that by merely serving such a warrant on any US-based email provider, it has the right to obtain the private emails of any subscriber, no matter where in the world the data may be located, and without the knowledge or consent of the subscriber or the relevant foreign government where the data is stored”. In short? They’re not up for it.
The move comes amidst the controversy stirred by the Snowden situation, as to whether laws related to search and seizure had to be updated or not, and what it should include: private phone calls, email exchanges, photos, and videos. The US government replied that Microsoft’s choice to oppose them would lead to “absurd” and “arbitrary” results with “a devastating impact on the government’s ability to conduct criminal investigations”.
Irregardless of which side of the debate you’re taking, it’s great to know that these things are being discussed in the open, and not just forced onto citizens, right? Right?
Source: Cnet
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