Microsoft Email Privacy Case No Longer Needed, Says The US (cnn.com)

An anonymous reader quotes CNN: The U.S. Department of Justice is asking the Supreme Court to abandon its case against Microsoft over international data privacy. A new law signed by President Donald Trump last week answers the legal question at the heart of Microsoft's case, the DOJ says. So the case "is now moot," the department said in a court filing posted Saturday.

Microsoft's legal battle began in 2013, when it refused to hand over emails stored on a server in Ireland to US officials who were investigating drug trafficking. Microsoft argued at the time that sharing data stored abroad could violate international treaties and policies, and there was no law on the books to provide any clarity. That changed with the The Cloud Act, which was tucked into the spending bill that Trump signed March 23. The act establishes a legal pathway for the United States to form agreements with other nations that make it easier for law enforcement to collect data stored on foreign soil... Microsoft cheered the new law, saying the Cloud Act provides the legal clarity the company sought.
The ACLU's legislative counsel argues that the new act hurts privacy and human rights, "at a time when human rights activists, dissidents and journalists around the world face unprecedented attacks."

"Would even a well-intentioned technology company, particularly a small one, have the expertise and resources to competently assess the risk that a foreign order may pose to a particular human rights activist?"

Comments

We will see

[93 Escort Wagon]

This new law may prove to be unconstitutional - even with a conservative-leaning court in place.

Re:We will see

[Jack9]

Why would this be unconstitutional? Why would anyone object to it at all?
If a US company has data in another country's jurisdiction, there should be a legal mechanism for the US govt retrieving this data.
The idea of everything being sent overseas to exceed the reach of the US government is even more dystopic.

The reverse should be true as a matter of being allowed to operate in the US to maintain parity, but that's another can of worms.

Re:We will see

[thegarbz]

Oh, I absolutely agree. I just wanted to let the fine people of Slashdot know which flavor of congress-critter was shafting them this time.

It's irrelevant. Congress are way above your silly political bickering. They will shaft you regardless of who is in power.

Microsoft is selling out here.

[whoever57]

At one time, I was surprised by Microsoft's approach: defending their customer's privacy.

Now they are selling them out. I don't think that this is a good business decision: it will dissuade non-US customers from using Microsoft's services.

Re:Don't look surprised

[Zontar The Mindless]

You must not mind having your tea flavoured with a bit of polonium?

Let us know how that works out for you.