Yesterday, Microsoft got reprimanded by a New York federal Judge. The reason for this is the fact that Microsoft refused to share e-mail data, which is stored in Europe. The government of the USA wants those e-mails for further investigation.
The request for the e-mail data was already approved by a federal Judge in december 2013. Though, Microsoft has been fighting against this request ever since. The government states that “They have the right to request, and investigate, all data of American companies”. This includes the data which is not stored in the USA itself. Microsoft, on the other hand, states that this request is against international laws en treaties, and it’s a direct insult on the privacy of civilians and companies a like.
Microsoft doesn’t stand alone in this lawsuit. American provider Verizon, and several privacy organisations support Microsoft in their defense. Governments outside of the USA also support Microsoft.
The company states that the digital world should have the same rules and laws as the real world. Which would mean that the USA needs evidence and a strong suspicion, before it has the right to request private e-mails.
This example proves that privacy, in- and outside of the digital world, is a huge issue at the moment. The European Union wants to forbid companies to sell private information to third parties, and has also started the conversation with the USA about the privacy of their civilians (right after Snowden showed the world what really happens with our data).
My question to you is as follows: Under what circumstances is it, in your opinion, justified for governments to request and investigate private data like e-mails?
Sources
http://www.nu.nl/internet/3872789/microsoft-berispt-niet-overhandigen-e-mails-vs.html
http://www.law360.com/technology/articles/575248
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/29/us-usa-microsoft-emails-idUSKBN0GT2GV20140829
http://www.nutech.nl/internet/3799131/microsoft-blijft-vechten-dataverzoek-vs-europese-e-mail.html
