patriot act

The Director of National Intelligence has confirmed the government collected visitor information from a US webpage using powers stemming from the PATRIOT Act. It's reawakened political debate about whether search and browsing history should be part ... of these powers. The argument centers on Section 215 of the act which gives the government the authority to collect "tangible things (including books, records, papers, documents, and other items) for an investigation to obtain foreign intelligence information." In the past that's been interpreted to include electronic records such as phone logs. ... (view more)

Microsoft says its customers in Europe can now store data online in a way US security services can't access. It's a surprising and potentially controversial move from an American technology giant. The move follows a recent European ruling which ... means US firms can no longer ignore local regulations on data privacy. According to Microsoft, this affects data customers in 32 European countries connected to Internet-based Microsoft applications, including Office 365. Data Accessed Only In Specific Circumstances The data will be stored in two data centers in Germany, controlled by local ... (view more)