February 26, 2010 | Digital Privacy

Ever wonder what information various social media and other websites have on you?

So does the government.

A site called Cryptome has released the ways in which popular websites give information to law enforcement agencies.

Microsoft spying procedure

Cryptome lays out the procedures that different sites follow in a series of PDFs. For example, the one for Microsoft is called microsoft-spy.zip.

There’s a method layed out for serving legal process to Microsoft in Redmond. Interestingly, non-US law enforcement is supposed to go through Microsoft US too, and not international subsidiaries. This is because online services records are stored on US servers. One question that arises, though, is how can Microsoft authenticate a request for information from the Republic of Freedonia, i.e., from various obscure agencies from around the world?

The PDF for Microsoft reveals how much information Microsoft keeps and for how long. For example, it keeps the last 10 IP address and social web site address combinations.

It also says which legal processes (no subpoena, subpoena, court order, search warrant) are required for which information.

Other companies whose spying procedures are detailed include Facebook, MySpace, Comcast, AOL, Skype, Cox, Ning, myYearbook, Stickam, Cisco, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Yahoo, SBC, Ameritech, Cingular, Nextel, and GTE.

My comments

Although it was always assumed that companies would give your data over to law enforcement if compelled, it’s slightly unnerving to actually see it all spelled out in a document.

This underscores the fact that you’re definitely giving up a measure of privacy when you store your documents and information online as opposed to locally on your computer. Also, I don’t think Microsoft et alia are required to tell you that the Feds have your documents, whereas if you have your files on your own computer, you’d of course know about it when the police come knocking with a search warrant.

Finally, given that one of the items that Microsoft, Google, and others will hand off to the government is email, it’s important to encrypt your e-mail if you want to keep it private.

Discussion at Slashdot.

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