Microsoft is refusing to hand over emails stored in international data centers to United States authorities.
The world's largest software company has decided not to give up users' emails, saying it will appeal a warrant from U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska demanding access to users' emails stored in Dublin, Ireland, in a bid to protect customers' basic privacy rights. In a blog post titled "Your email belongs to you, not us," Microsoft's Chief Privacy Officer, Brendon Lynch, assured users the company would fight the request in attempts to protect users' private information.
"Microsoft is committed to delivering meaningful privacy protections that build trust with our customers, and we know how much you value the contents of your email," Lynch wrote. "We believe your email belongs to you, not us, and that it should receive the same privacy protection as paper letters sent by mail - no matter where it is stored. This is the crux of our legal challenge to a U.S. government criminal search warrant for a customer's email stored in our datacenter in Dublin, Ireland."
In July, Judge Preska ordered the Redmond-based software giant to hand over email content stored in a data center outside the U.S. for a criminal case investigation. The order was temporarily suspended amid concerns that the U.S. government was overstepping the mark by attempting to gain access to data stored in a foreign country, The Inquirer reported.
On Friday, August 29, the suspension order was lifted, which leaves Microsoft with no other option but to comply. However, the software giant has already decided to appeal the warrant while the prosecutors argue that the case is not appealable.
Microsoft's decision to appeal has backing from several tech companies, including AT&T, Apple, Cisco Systems and Verizon Communications that have already submitted briefs in support.
"Everyone agrees this case can and will proceed to the appeals court. This is simply about finding the appropriate procedure for that to happen," a company spokesman said, according to Reuters.
