US EditionHow to Keep Your PC Encryption Key Safe - From Microsoft and the FBI
Microsoft reportedly complies with about 20 annual law enforcement requests for BitLocker recovery keys, raising concerns about data control and encryption key management.
6 Articles
6 Articles
Microsoft has given investigators access to encrypted data from their customers. And again, the question arises: Should you rely on US tech companies?
If you don’t control your keys, you don’t control your data
A recent Forbes investigation revealed that Microsoft has allegedly been handing over Bitlocker encryption recovery keys to law enforcement when served with warrants. Microsoft says it receives about 20 such requests annually. Taken narrowly, this may appear to be a routine case of lawful compliance. On closer inspection, it raises a consequential question about how modern digital systems are designed and who ultimately controls the data they ho…
Microsoft Will Hand Over Encrypted User Data to the FBI If Ordered
The Redmond-based tech giant is not pushing back against US authorities, meaning BitLocker protection can in some cases be worked around. Microsoft has confirmed that it will provide law enforcement with encryption keys for data protected by BitLocker on Windows PCs if served with a valid court order. In early 2025, the FBI obtained a warrant compelling the company to hand over keys for encrypted data stored on three laptops. Federal officials…
The technology giant claimed to receive about twenty requests for BitLocker keys per year and to transmit them to the authorities when they rely on valid court decisions. Conversely, companies like Apple and Meta have designed their systems so as to make such a breach of privacy impossible.
Last year, Microsoft gave the FBI the decryption keys for three BitLocker computers. • These keys were stored in a Microsoft account, which is the default setting. • However, the recovery key does not have to be stored in a Microsoft account.
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