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Microsoft Putting Servers In Germany To Keep User Data Away From US Intelligence (techcrunch.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Ever since the Snowden leaks, people and businesses in foreign countries have been wary about hosting sensitive data on U.S. soil for fear intelligence agencies would be able to comb through it at their leisure. Microsoft has announced a plan to combat those worries, saying they will host infrastructure for Azure, Office 365, and Dynamics CRM at data centers in Germany. In addition, the data centers themselves will not be run by Microsoft, but by a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, which eliminates more legal avenues for U.S. agencies to access the data stored there. "The two data centers will be based in Magdeburg and Frankfurt am Main, with Microsoft stressing this 'data trustee' model means it will not have any access to customer data without the consent of the trustee, and that it cannot therefore be compelled — 'even by a third party' — to hand over customer data."
it cannot therefore be compelled — 'even by a third party' — to hand over customer data.
They might not be able to hand over the data, but I imagine they could still be found in contempt for not doing so.
Judge: "Hand over the data."
Microsoft: "We are physically incapable of doing so."
Judge: "Not my problem."
To me, it just seems like Microsoft wants to look like they're trying to protect data from the US government's snooping, rather than actually working to protect data from US government snooping.
Germany is one of the last places I'd go to escape US intelligence agencies. Microsoft would've been more believable if they'd partnered up with relatively neutral parties like Iceland or Switzerland.
This is not really a surprise. One of the ways you get around domestic anti-surveillance laws is to ask some friendly allies to do it for you. Basically you spy on their citizens and they spy on yours. Each government can then say it is not infringing its own citizen's rights.
... and yet, if you (hypothetically) were to hire a hit man to perform a murder, or a thief to steal something for you, the resulting investigation would indict you for conspiracy to commit murder or conspiracy to commit larceny and you would be punished just as much as your chosen proxy.
Yet another example of one set of laws for us, and another set for "them". The concept of rule of law takes another swift kick to the balls, again.
Since when is RT considered news?
Since I gave up reading the MSM newspapers and listening to the BBC, because I realised that their foreign news coverage - and much of their domestic news - was a bunch of lies.
I am a British history graduate and a member of Mensa, with a strong interest in history and human affairs in general. I am careful to read widely and compare sources. On that basis, during the two years I have been following RT, I have not seen any obvious lies or distortion - about Russia or anything else.
On the other hand, if I want to see lies and distortion aplenty, all I have to do is turn on the BBC or scan through any British newspaper. Just this morning I received the latest issue of Private Eye, and on the very first page I found a cartoon insinuating that Putin was responsible for the destruction of MH17 and that therefore the destruction of Flight 9268 was some kind of payback.
I have spent many hours studying all the reports and analysis about MH17, and it is pretty clear that whoever was responsible, it was certainly not Russia. I have also spent a lot of time reading up about the present state of Ukraine, and it would be very hard to put any act - no matter how cruel or grotesque - past the gang of cynical hooligans who are currently ruling there.
I am sure that there are many other solipsists out there.