Microsoft has sued the US Justice Department over the agency’s never-ending requests seeking customer data without the knowledge of the user. The Redmond, Washington-based company hopes that the federal judge will rule in its favor, and allow it to inform the customer when the govement has asked to access his or her emails and other data.
Microsoft is challenging the Section 2705(b) of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which allows the govement to search for and obtain orders without allowing the company to inform the conceed customer. In its complaint, Microsoft writes, “This statute violates both the Fourth Amendment, which affords people and businesses the right to know if the govement searches or seizes their property, and the First Amendment, which enshrines Microsoft’s rights to talk to its customers and to discuss how the govement conducts its investigations—subject only to restraints narrowly tailored to serve compelling govement interests.”
Developing…