Government battles Microsoft in email privacy case before Supreme Court

 WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday takes up a battle between the federal government and the internet giant Microsoft over the privacy of its customers' data.

The issue is straightforward: Can the company be compelled to turn over emails stored on overseas servers?

A victory for the government, privacy advocates say, would set off a global free-for-all, with nothing to stop any country from seeking data stored anywhere in the world.

But the Justice Department says a win for Microsoft could create data havens, places where governments would be unable to obtain evidence of serious crimes.

The dispute began in 2013, when federal agents served a search warrant on Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, seeking the contents of an MSN.com account they claimed was being used to conduct drug trafficking.


Source : nbcnews