The number of American tech companies who are suspicious of the U.S. government\u2019s activities is increasing. Microsoft is now officially suing the U.S. government because it believes that citizens deserve to know if and when the feds request otherwise private data on their activities.<\/p>\n
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\u201cMicrosoft brings this case because its customers have a right to know when the government obtains a warrant to read their emails, and because Microsoft has a right to tell them,\u201d reads the opening sentence in the filing with the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Washington. Microsoft said that, currently, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) forces the company to keep all search requests mum.<\/p>\n
That technically means the U.S. feds might have asked Microsoft for data on\u00a0you<\/em> and that, by law, Microsoft\u00a0can\u2019t<\/em>\u00a0tell you<\/em>. Worse, as Microsoft notes, \u201cthe statue contains no limit on the length of time such secrecy orders may be kept in place.\u201d So, really, it never has to tell you.<\/p>\n Microsoft said this isn\u2019t right, especially since we all used to keep data in \u201cfile cabinets and desk drawers\u201d where we knew it was safe. Now that data is stored in the cloud, however, that information is somehow much more within the grasp of the U.S. government. \u201cThe transition to the cloud does not alter the fundamental constitutional requirement that the government must \u2013 with few exceptions-give notice when it searches and seizes the private information or communications of individuals or businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n The base argument here is that Microsoft at least wants to be able to say, \u201clook, man, someone from the government is rifling through your stuff.\u201d As it stands, the feds aren\u2019t even leaving fingerprints.<\/p>\n