It seems Microsoft is not alone in its fight against the U.S. government over access to customer data stored on Redmond’s Ireland servers. Apple, Amazon, Cisco, eBay and Verizon as well as two of the US’s largest business organizations, the US Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers have all filed in support of Microsoft.
Media organizations including ABC, CNN, Fox News and the Guardian have also come forward to show their support for the software giant’s refusal to handover data held on overseas servers.
Microsoft was earlier slapped with a warrant by US prosecutors to handover user data in an Irish data centre, in connection with a drug-related investigation.
Redmond however refused to comply with the same arguing that the government’s order to search the Dublin facility “would violate international law and treaties, and reduce the privacy protection of everyone on the planet.”
In July, U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska had ruled that the US tech giant must hand over data sought in the probe, no matter where it’s located in the world, dismissing Microsoft’s claims of “extraterritorial” authority.
Supporting Microsoft’s fight, Randal S. Milch, general counsel of Verizon Communications, said “Allowing the government to use such a warrant would expose U.S. companies to legal jeopardy in other countries which prohibit the disclosure of such data and spur retaliation by foreign governments, which would threaten the privacy of Americans.”
Brad Smith, Microsoft general counsel, in an interview on Monday, said “This is not a case about a narrow legal issue but rather a broad policy issue that is of profound importance to the future of the Internet.”
