Microsoft Fights Government Secrecy Orders Amid User Data Demands

Microsoft is continuing its fight for transparency and customer privacy in the face of government demands for user data. The company's subsidiary, LinkedIn, has appealed a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit that allows the government to keep secret the details of a demand for user records.

The case revolves around a court order issued to LinkedIn seeking user records along with a secrecy order preventing the company from notifying users about the request. The government has not disclosed what specific information is being sought or who owns it, but Microsoft argues that the demand is overbroad and the secrecy order is unconstitutional.

Microsoft's appeal joins a broader effort by the company to ensure that secrecy orders remain the exception rather than the rule. In 2014, Microsoft successfully challenged a National Security Letter (NSL) that prevented notice to an enterprise customer, and in 2016, it filed a landmark challenge to the widespread use of indefinite secrecy orders.

On August 31, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation aimed at reining in secret surveillance and strengthening notice protections for users. The bill would place clearer limits on secrecy orders, require greater accountability, and ensure that secrecy is used only when necessary.