I read this morning that Microsoft secretly beheaded the command structure of the 1.3 Million Windows bot farm called Waledac. As much as I dislike Microsoft's ethics and greed, and while you may think that their actions in this regard don't concern Linux, the fact is that the traffic from this bot farm throttled Internet speed for everyone, including Linux users. So I tip my hat to Microsoft for doing this.
BUT, then they turn around and show their true colors by sending a DMCA takedown order demanding the removal of their "Global Criminal Compliance Handbook" PDF document, which is "a comprehensive, 22-page guide running down the surveillance services Microsoft will perform for law enforcement agencies on its various online platforms, which includes detailed instructions for IP address extraction. "
An interesting tidbit in the PDF, something I was not aware of, is that:
I wonder how Microsoft "providing" (owning ?) their domain names truly affects the privacy of their citizens AND their government agencies, considering Microsoft's VAST and EXTENSIVE history of corporate misbehavior? Also, can US law enforcement get a US court order to see Internet traffic of citizens using Microsoft's foreign domain names, since the email is stored in the US?
Most of the PDF reads like an advertisement describing their various on line services, including fees. It does not give law enforcement instructions on how to "break into" a Microsoft on line account but does explain how to read the files that Microsoft would supply in order to comply with a court order. Contrary to the claims made in the second citation, the information in that PDF can't really be used by a "customers to protect themselves when Microsoft cannot due to its legal obligations under CALEA." because access to that data and the tools necessary to create the kind of reports that Microsoft shows and describes would not be available to customers of Microsoft's on line services. I believe the real reason why Microsoft wants to block dissemination of this PDF is because when the customers of their on line services see HOW MUCH detail is recorded of their on line activities they might decide to use an ISP and/or service which is more willing to protect their privacy or to use other services in combination with anonymous connections. It wouldn't matter if you were using Microsoft's services via Linux, the detail of your activities would be the same. Maybe that's why they resorted to corporate bullying and the misuse of the DMCA and copyright law. The same ISP saw no problem with CyptTome posting Yahoo's on line surveillance documents and didn't see Yahoo's DMCA request a threat or sufficient reason to comply, but Microsoft has more $$$ and thus more legal clout, proving yet again that in the US justice is more a matter of money than law, rights or the Constitution, and the courts have become mere strong-arm enforcers acting at the behest of those with the most cash and/or political influence.
So, I would love to see Microsoft' corporate command structure "beheaded", and replaced with people more willing to be ethical, moral, law-abiding, Internet citizens, but I would probably have to wait until Hell froze over to see that.
BUT, then they turn around and show their true colors by sending a DMCA takedown order demanding the removal of their "Global Criminal Compliance Handbook" PDF document, which is "a comprehensive, 22-page guide running down the surveillance services Microsoft will perform for law enforcement agencies on its various online platforms, which includes detailed instructions for IP address extraction. "
An interesting tidbit in the PDF, something I was not aware of, is that:
Microsoft also provides some country specific domains such as .co.uk, .fr, .it, .de, .es, .th, .tk,
.co.jp
...
Currently all e-mail service customer data is stored in the U.S. even if the account
name contains a country specific domain.
.co.jp
...
Currently all e-mail service customer data is stored in the U.S. even if the account
name contains a country specific domain.
Most of the PDF reads like an advertisement describing their various on line services, including fees. It does not give law enforcement instructions on how to "break into" a Microsoft on line account but does explain how to read the files that Microsoft would supply in order to comply with a court order. Contrary to the claims made in the second citation, the information in that PDF can't really be used by a "customers to protect themselves when Microsoft cannot due to its legal obligations under CALEA." because access to that data and the tools necessary to create the kind of reports that Microsoft shows and describes would not be available to customers of Microsoft's on line services. I believe the real reason why Microsoft wants to block dissemination of this PDF is because when the customers of their on line services see HOW MUCH detail is recorded of their on line activities they might decide to use an ISP and/or service which is more willing to protect their privacy or to use other services in combination with anonymous connections. It wouldn't matter if you were using Microsoft's services via Linux, the detail of your activities would be the same. Maybe that's why they resorted to corporate bullying and the misuse of the DMCA and copyright law. The same ISP saw no problem with CyptTome posting Yahoo's on line surveillance documents and didn't see Yahoo's DMCA request a threat or sufficient reason to comply, but Microsoft has more $$$ and thus more legal clout, proving yet again that in the US justice is more a matter of money than law, rights or the Constitution, and the courts have become mere strong-arm enforcers acting at the behest of those with the most cash and/or political influence.
So, I would love to see Microsoft' corporate command structure "beheaded", and replaced with people more willing to be ethical, moral, law-abiding, Internet citizens, but I would probably have to wait until Hell froze over to see that.