Microsoft Makes Privacy Changes: Will Turn to Law Enforcement To Search Outlook Accounts

In the wake of the  Kibkalo/Canouna controversy Microsoft has made some fundamental privacy changes for Outlook.com (Hotmail) email accounts.  Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith gave us an update on the changes:

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.

Google, Yahoo, and Apple have made no such changes to their privacy policies.  This is the right move for consumers and Microsoft should be applauded for making the changes.  That being said I think this “controversy” was taken way out of proportion and was twisted and sensationalized by the mainstream anti-Microsoft tech media.

Source: Microsoft on the Issues