Email surveillance has become one of the most concerning things for users around the world, given the fact that even when several government sectors do this for security manners, this is a situation that usually violates people´s privacy, since most of the time those who are monitored are innocent persons. Given this situation, tech giant Microsoft might now become one of the most powerful voices against these actions, since the company is now allowed to make a major move every time this issue happens.
A Judge Issued The Suspension Of Donald Trump´s Muslim Ban
Last Thursday, a judge ruled that Microsoft can now sue the U.S. government over a policy that prevents the tech company from notifying its users when their emails are being monitored, which is something that could represent a huge setback for Donald Trump´s administration. He will be able to make an action that would have really harmful consequences for his government.
In fact, what makes this judicial decision quite controversial is that the person who ruled it is the U.S. District Judge James Robart in Seattle, which is the one that issued a temporary suspension on Trump´s highly controversial Muslim ban. Apparently, he explained that Microsoft actually made a solid argument that its right to free speech is being violated by the policy.
Microsoft´s Tension With The U.S. Government Will Be Increased
In fact, Robart actually showed a strong position on Microsoft´s side, since he also pointed out that the government surveillance of emails represents an unlawful search and seizure of property, which clearly gives Microsoft´s lawsuit the possibility of moving forward, even when he didn't rule on the merits of the case.
The lawsuit was filed in April, and it represent Microsoft´s fourth legal broadside against the U.S. government on data protection rights for anyone that uses its cloud services. In fact, the tech giant explained that so far, it has received almost 3,000 gagging orders, and two thirds of those doesn't have an expiration date. Naturally, this would increase the tensions between Microsoft and Trump´s administration, given the fact that this is one of the main tech companies that stood against the Muslim ban.
