Microsoft, rivals challenge U.S. government over cloud data privacy
December 17, 2014
Grazed from TechTarget. Author: Rob Wright.
Some of Microsoft’s fiercest rivals, including Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., have come to the defense of the software giant in a controversial cloud data privacy case that could have negative implications for cloud security. Microsoft Monday filed 10 amicus briefs, also known as friend of the court briefs, from a diverse group of technology firms, media companies, and trade associations that support Microsoft’s opposition to a U.S. search warrant for customer emails stored in a data center in Ireland. Microsoft refused to comply with the warrant, which was part of a drug-related investigation, arguing that the data center is outside the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Justice.
But U.S. Magistrate Judge James Francis ruled against Microsoft in April, and later a federal court ordered Microsoft to hand over the emails to prosecutors. Microsoft recently filed an appeal of the decision and says it’s committed to protecting customer’s data in the cloud…
The amicus briefs were signed by 28 tech and media companies, including Apple, Amazon, Hewlett-Packard Co., Verizon Communications Inc., Fox News Network LLC, and The Washington Post Co., as well as 23 trade associations and advocacy organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Newspaper Association of America…
Read more from the source @ http://searchcloudsecurity.techtarget.com/news/2240236822/Microsoft-rivals-challenge-US-government-over-cloud-data-privacy