How Microsoft Handed the NSA Access to Encrypted Messages

How Microsoft allowed the NSA access to encrypted messages. Ranging from Hotmail to Xbl messages. The extent of their cooperation with the PRISM programme.

[ChozenWoan]

Thanks to a link at the bottom I've got a new search engine. duckduckgo.com

I've read about most of this before but it's interesting that MS boasts about Azure while at the same time building Skydrive for the NSA. Wonder if they are connected in some way. hmmm.

[pompombrum]

Well if you read the article, you'd probably come to the conclusion that seeing as duckduckgo is a US company, if big brother comes knocking, they'll be bending over too. Safest bet... VPN + TOR browser and a MAC spoofer if you're really worried.

[ChozenWoan]

Good point aiBreeze, yet for the time being DDG doesn't track user info so there is no info for the NSA to demand.

Plus I'm not that worried yet, but I'm starting to get there. Might have to go Lodite just to get away from all this crazyness... well until they come knocking at 5am one day. lol

[pompombrum]

These Microsoft working with the government articles couldn't have came at a worse time for the company. I wonder how much the kinect device will be linked to these spy claims by the general media? I find it extremely concerning that seeing as I'm not American, the NSA could theoretically force Microsoft into allowing them to spy on me through any of Microsoft's products and can do that without even needing a court order. I'd like to think there is something in the law that would actually stop them being able to use Kinect as a CCTV device but tbh, I'm not hopeful.

Also in before the apples and oranges laptop webcam/smartphone comparison.

[n4rc]

In a statement, Microsoft said: "When we upgrade or update products we aren't absolved from the need to comply with existing or future lawful demands." The company reiterated its argument that it provides customer data "only in response to government demands and we only ever comply with orders for requests about specific accounts or identifiers".

Targeting US citizens does require an individual warrant, but the NSA is able to collect Americans' communications without a warrant if the target is a foreign national located overseas.

Quoted because people will still miss it..

No spying without a warrant, unless you are outside the USA.. Obviously.

Your constitutional rights are only valid in the states..

[pompombrum]

"but the NSA is able to collect Americans' communications without a warrant if the target is a foreign national located overseas."

And that's the most worrying and disturbing thing.

[n4rc]

I don't argue.. But as Canadian I can't really say much about it.. But to me, I would assume your rights as an american don't apply in foreign countries.. So to me everything in the report is common knowledge and nothing new

But you'd have to have done something to warrant attention.. They don't have the resources to monitor people just for the hell of it..

But some people think law enforcement is like CSI on TV.. That techs carry guns and drive hummers.. Etc Lol.. They can't even keep tabs on all the suspects nobody argues they should be watching..

And this is all coming from one man that's a wanted fugitive.. Not saying it isn't credible but you have to question it a little bit imo

[extermin8or]

Yeah there's a little thing called international law, and agreements. THe only reason the USA has been allowed to house so much of the internets infrastructure is to try and prevent indivdual countries being able to censor wha thtey don't want popping up, or spying via it-or at least make it harder. Now they've done this the arguement to no distribute it more evenly will be a harder one to put forth and if it is... say hello to censorship from foriegn states and the sweet f a we'd be able todo about it realistically. Plus some countries could've tken this as an act of survielance and reacted alot worse than they have-after all that IS what they are doing. See no reason why they have any right to see anything about me at all and my internet activity as a UL citizen.

[Mikeyy]

According to PRISM they are collecting all our data without a warrant.

Is encrypted but they can still look at it eventually. A warrant simply speeds up the process since the provider unencrypts it for them.

[Funantic1]

Well we've never had any problems before. So it'll be ok. And plus the NSA has their own problems right now. Everybody is suing the NSA....firms, companies, and different countries.

[Hydralysk]

This system wasn't POSSIBLE a decade ago. Of course we haven't had problems before, because we've never been in this position before. We're running into this issue precisely because technology is progressing at such a fast rate that the law can't keep up, and EVERYONE is abusing that fact.

This is not an issue you can just ignore, and it depresses me how many people agree with the whole "Well if you're not a terrorist you've got nothing to fear from the government spying on you!" the politicians are spouting.

It also doesn't help that all that the "We don't target Americans without warrants!" policy sounds a lot less reassuring when the person reading it isn't American.

[n4rc]

Your the one making assumptions when the facts dont suport your claims..

I go on what the report actually says, not what conspiracy theorists believe.

Wasn't just a couple months ago the Boston bombing was staged? How'd that turn out?

[Hydralysk]

Which of my assumptions wasn't supported by facts?

The one where I said the technology that made PRISM possible wasn't available until recently? If that's not true then enlighten me, show me the evidence you have that what I'm saying is false. A decade ago there was no Youtube, social networking sites like Myspace was just taking off, as was Skype. Not only technology itself but our very culture has recently become tied to putting pieces of who we are online.

Or was it where I claimed that foreigners aren't that reassured by the statement that PRISM doesn't target Americans without a warrant. If that's something you don't believe I think you should read more about what's going on with US/EU and US/Brazil relations at the moment because of this (Spoiler! They aren't too happy).

It's also hard to believe the official reports when the national intelligence director straight up lied to congress about the program existing to begin with.

Finally, I don't see your point in mentioning Boston... Does the fact that Prism can't catch 100% of terrorist plots somehow prove that the government spying on us isn't something to be worried about? I mean I'd say that's a good point for my argument, if all the violation of privacy coming out now can't completely stop terrorist attacks, then what's the point of it? I'm a thousand times more likely to get involved in a car accident than a terrorist attack, but now I'm expected to accept them infringing on people's privacy to protect us from that incredibly low probability?

[Funantic1]

I'm sure it's possible with my lap top computer right now tho. It's ran by Microsoft Windows. I'm sure this web camera stays on in front of my face while I've smoked a blunt. I've also smoked during a Skype session....nothing happened. And don't think we've just started being spied on....no we just found out. Like I said it'll be ok. Exposure hurt the NSA. Some people of the NSA will be fired and the agency will be restructured. They have plenty of powerful people suing and investigating them. The NSA has plenty of problems right now. All of the govt. agencies are not unified and have disagreements on the complexities of rights and laws. Even the highest human authority has a powerful adversary. There is no one single entity.

[BattleTorn]

... by following the law. :(

[Retroman]

NATIONAL.SECURITY.AGENCY. NSA is run and controlled by the illuminati they're job to listen,record,track ALL!!! level of communication around the world. MS is apart of the GLOBAL ELITE as other companies with yearly income over 100 million.
not surprised kinect 2.0 watch,listen,record people private life.

[Funantic1]

I'm sure Sony is part of that elite too. How else would they be so successful. The NSA leased a nearby defunct chip plant from Sony at Loop 410 and Military Drive San Antonio, Texas. Sony hands are not clean. Check out the link to PRISM that has a Sony logo besides it. Maybe your PSN password will work there.

https://prism.spe.sony.com/...

You can use Domaintools.com to see who the domain is registered to. Just copy and paste site URL to "domain research" category.

[Retroman]

did not mention SONY directly but indirectly as i stated : MS is apart of the GLOBAL ELITE "as other companies" with yearly income over 100 million. including SONY part of Illuminati.

[extermin8or]

Ok go away-grow a brain, ten come back if you must and have a rational factual discussion... please.

[bigboss1990]

It get to the point where your games machine watches you insted its ridiculous .

[BattleAxe]

This is just another reason to do as little business as possible with Microsoft. These revelations should scare the crap out of consumers, and I feel that many people aren't taking this issue serious enough.