TechCrunch is reporting that Microsoft has successfully managed to challenge a National Security Letter (NSL) from the FBI that included a gag order. The gist is simple: according to Microsoft they received an NSL requesting "basic subscriber information" regarding an "enterprise" customer; i.e. the FBI was after the metadata of a large Microsoft client.
As is normal for NSLs, the letter banned Microsoft from disclosing to anyone that the data had been requested. Microsoft didn't think that reasonable and filed a challenge resulting in the FBI retracting its request. What's perhaps more interesting isn't that a single National Security Letter was beaten back, but how Microsoft argued its case which could, in theory, be used by others to defeat other NSLs.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 23 2014, @05:06AM
Stored there on the host sun
Satya fought the law and Satya won
Satya fought the law and Satya won
The law don't mean shit if you've got the right friends
That's how this country's run
Twinkies are the best friends I ever had
Satya fought the law and Satya won
Satya fought the law and Satya won