The lawsuit filed in the US state of Washington raises a new issue in an ongoing debate in the United States involving privacy versus the needs of law enforcement.
Microsoft said, according to the report, that its action "raises a fundamental question about the cloud computing era: Can the government force technology companies to remain silent about when and how federal agents search their customers’ data?"
The lawsuit argues that individuals would know if their home or hard drive were searched by investigators. But in thousands of cases, technology companies are forced to keep that information secret, according to the lawsuit.
Microsoft’s action coincides with an ongoing battle between Apple and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over whether courts can force cell phone and computer companies to unlock encrypted data on devices needed in criminal investigations.
