Hacked Emails Reveal How Much Microsoft Charges The FBI For User Information | TechTree.com

Hacked Emails Reveal How Much Microsoft Charges The FBI For User Information

The invoices run into hundreds of thousands of dollars for each month.

 

According to documents allegedly obtained by the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), Tech giant Microsoft charges FBI hundreds of thousands of dollars to legally share customer information.

 

The hacker group, well-known for targeting Western companies, let the Daily Dot analyse emails and invoices documenting transactions between Microsoft's Global Criminal Compliance team and the FBI's Digital Intercept Technology Unit (DITU).

 

The publication reveals that Microsoft charged DITU anywhere between $50 to $200 for each transaction. This takes monthly totals to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The invoice for the month of November 2013 alone racks up $281,000.

 

Neither DITU or Microsoft confirmed the validity of the documents. However, the tech giant did tell The Verge that it was no secret and that other companies can also legally charge for information requested by the government.

 

"Regarding law enforcement requests, there’s nothing unusual here," said a Microsoft spokesperson. "Under US law, companies can seek reimbursement for costs associated with complying with valid legal orders for customer data.”


Despite the transactions being perfectly legal and not breaching any privacy laws, it shows how frequently the US government calls for information about certain individuals.


TAGS: Internet, privacy issues, Microsoft, FBI, Syrian Electronic Army

 
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