Second Circuit rules in favor of Microsoft, gov't can't force access to email on Irish server

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Second Circuit rules in favor of Microsoft, gov't can't force access to email on Irish server

The U.S. government's reach got a little bit shorter Thursday when the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision and ruled that the U.S. government can't force Microsoft to hand over customer emails stored in a server in Ireland. The court's ruling at least temporarily capped a long-running legal battle between the tech giant and the federal government, effectively ordering a District Court to quash a warrant for the data and vacating an order that held Microsoft in contempt for its refusal to yield to the government's demands.

Privacy advocates hailed the ruling as a victory for Microsoft and, if it holds, will likely inspire confidence among privacy advocates and European privacy regulators who worried about the fortitude of the U.S.'s privacy posture. "It's a big win for Microsoft and other tech companies pushing back against government information requests", Joseph G. Falcone, partner at the law firm of Herbert Smith Freehills New York LLP, told SCMagazine.com.

Source: SC Magazine