Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Changes Email Snooping Policy

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Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is responding to the backlash from the recent admission of company policy that allowed it to snoop on user emails. As a result, Microsoft now claims to honor privacy commitments to customers.

Microsoft makes amends to ensure privacy for email users

Brad Smith, vice president and general counsel for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), clarified the matter in a recent blog post. He explained, “Effective immediately, if we receive information indicating that someone is using our services to traffic in stolen intellectual or physical property from Microsoft, we will not inspect a customer’s private content ourselves. Instead, we will refer the matter to law enforcement if further action is required.”

Smith added the company will incorporate the change to their customer terms of service in the next few months. The criticisms started last week after Smith admitted his company accessed the email account of a blogger who received stolen Windows information from an angry employee.

Microsoft recognizes what internet users want

Privacy is a rare but nonetheless important thing for internet users. Although Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s admission caused a lot of backlash against the company, it was better in the long-run to admit it rather than have the information leaked out from an outside source.

Brad Smith added, “In part we have thought more about this in the context of other privacy issues that have been so topical during the past year. We’ve entered a “post-Snowden era” in which people rightly focus on the ways others use their personal information. As a company we’ve participated actively in the public discussions about the proper balance between the privacy rights of citizens and the powers of government. We’ve advocated that governments should rely on formal legal processes and the rule of law for surveillance activities.”

Although the search was still within legal limits, Smith said Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) should instead rely on legal processes for legal investigations that involve people suspected of theft. In essence, he says Microsoft should turn to the the authorities rather than snoop on private email accounts.

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