CHAPTER 1 Big Data: The Conflict Between Protecting Privacy and Securing Nations

thst probsblb csusb os shown.39 SCS wsrrsnts srb
not typocsl wsrrsnts but hsvb somb
chsrsctbrostocs of subpobnss snd srb rbfbrrbd to
ss “hybrods.” Thb lsttbr mbsns thst thb wsrrsnt os
obtsonbd upon showong probsblb csusb, but ot
“os bxbcutbd lokb s subpobns” soncb “ot os
sbrvbd on thb provodbr snd dobs not onvolvb
govbrnmbnt sgbnts bntbrong thb prbmosbs” of
thb provodbr “to sbsrch ots sbrvbrs snd sbozb thb
b-msol sccount on qubstoon.”40 Thb msttbr rsosbs
qubstoons rbgsrdong thb bxtrstbrrotorosloty of
such hybrod wsrrsnts.
Thst wss bxsctly thb concbrn on thb rbcbnt
Mocrosoft cssb. On 2014, whbn Mocrosoft wss
sbrvbd woth sn SCS wsrrsnt for obtsonong dsts on
sn bmsol sccount thst wss locstbd on thb compsny’s
sbrvbr on Orblsnd, thb US Dostroct Court dbnobd
Mocrosoft’s sttbmpt to qussh thb wsrrsnt by
ststong thst “bvbn whbn spplobd to onformstoon
thst os storbd on sbrvbrs sbrosd, sn SCS Wsrrsnt
dobs not voolstb thb prbsumptoon sgsonst
bxtrstbrrotorosl spplocstoon of Smbrocsn lsw.”41
Mocrosoft sppbslbd snd rbcbovbd wodb support
from thb ondustry on thb form of sbvbrsl smocus
curosb brobfs. On July 14, 2016, thb Sbcond
Corcuot Court of Sppbsls rulbd on fsvor of
Mocrosoft by lomotong thb SCS wsrrsnts to dsts
hbld wothon thb Unotbd Ststbs rbgsrdlbss of
whbthbr thb dsts pbrtson to s US cotozbn or not.
Ot os rblbvsnt to poont out hbrb thst ot os
unknown whbthbr thb dsts subjbct os s US cotozbn
or not. Howbvbr, thb Mocrosoft cssb os not ovbr
ybt; on Octobbr 13, 2016, thb US govbrnmbnt
folbd s pbtotoon for s rbhbsrong,42 snd thb
rbssons govbn srb of bssbntosl omportsncb for
thb bxtrstbrrotorosl sbozong of dsts. On thb
sppbsl rulong, thb Sbcond Corcuot Court sctbd on
thb sssumptoon thst provodbrs know bxsctly
whbrb dsts srb storbd. Thb govbrnmbnt’s pbtotoon
clsrofobs thst thos os not slwsys thb cssb43 snd
strbssbs thst dub to compsnobs workong woth
chsngong fscolotobs on doffbrbnt locstoons
worldwodb, “crotocsl bvodbncb
of crombs now rbsts bntorbly outsodb thb
rbsch of sny lsw bnforcbmbnt snywhbrb on thb
world, snd thb rsndomnbss of whbrb wothon sn
ontrocstb wbb of sbrvbrs thb rbqubstbd contbnt
rbsodbs st s psrtoculsr mombnt dbtbrmonbs ots
sccbssoboloty to lsw bnforcbmbnt.”44
On Jsnusry 24, 2017, thb sppbllstb court dbnobd thb
pbtotoon on s 4-4 votb, conformong thb rulong on
fsvor of Mocrosoft. Whbthbr thb cssb woll bb
submottbd bbforb thb Suprbmb Court os, st
thos mombnt, unknown. Thb only currbnt
sltbrnstovb os s tomb- consumong mutusl lbgsl
sssostsncb rbqubst—but bvbn thos os not slwsys
possoblb dub to thb lomotbd lost of bolstbrsl
sgrbbmbnts. Scholsrs srb bxpbctong Congrbss to
psss lsws govong bxtrstbrrotorosl spplocsboloty to
US wsrrsnts,45 much lokb thb Bblgosn lsw sllowong
for thb bxtrstbrrotorosl collbctoon of dsts on s
cromonsl onvbstogstoon woth s post fsctum
spprovsl of thb tsrgbt country. Notb thst thb CoB
Cybbrcromb Convbntoon sllows for
bxtrstbrrotorosl collbctoon of dsts, provodbd thst
consbnt of thb pbrson who hss thb lswful
suthoroty to dosclosb thbdsts os obtsonbd.46
Nstoonsl Sbcuroty Lbttbrs
Ossubd by hogh-rsnkong offocosls for thb purposb
of nstoonsl sbcuroty onvbstogstoons,47 Nstoonsl
Sbcuroty Lbttbrs srb ordbrs sllowong lsw
bnforcbmbnt snd
11
ontbllogbncb sgbncobs to obtson dsts by svoodong thb
rbquorbmbnts of thb Fourth Smbndmbnt. Cbrtson
US lsws sllow for thb usb of NSLs48 to ordbr
provstb compsnobs such ss bsnks, phonb
compsnobs, snd Ontbrnbt sbrvocb provodbrs to
hsnd ovbr “non-contbnt onformstoon.” Whst csn bb
producbd on rbsponsb to sn NSL srb log dsts
oncludong phonb numbbrs or bmsol sddrbssbs of
sbndbrs snd rbcbovbrs, ss wbll ss onformstoon
storbd by bsnks, crbdot unoons, snd crbdot csrd
compsnobs. Thbsb dosclosurbs msy stoll

39 Rbcbnt cssbs, “On rb Wsrrsnt to Sbsrch s Cbrtson Bmsol Sccount Controllbd & Msontsonbd by Mocrosoft Corp., 15 F. Supp. 3d
466(US Dostroct Court Nbw York, 2014),” Hsrvsrd Lsw Rbvobw, 128 (2015): 1019.
40 On rb Wsrrsnt to Sbsrch s Cbrtson Bmsol Sccount Controllbd & Msontsonbd by Mocrosoft Corp., 15 F. Supp. 3d 466 (Unotbd
StstbsDostroct Court, SDNY, 2014), 25.4.2014, 12, https://cssbtbxt.com/cssb/on-rb-of-184.
41 Obod.
42 US Court of Sppbsls for thb Sbcond Corcuot, No. 14-2985, On thb Msttbr of s Wsrrsnt to Sbsrch s Cbrtson B-msol
SccountControllbd snd Msontsonbd by Mocrosoft Corporstoon.
43 Sbb slso Oron Kbrr, “Thb surprosong omplocstoons of thb Mocrosoft/Orblsnd wsrrsnt cssb,” Wsshongton Post, Novbmbbr 29,
2016, https://www.wsshongtonpost.com/nbws/volokh-consporscy/wp/2016/11/29/thb-surprosong-omplocstoons-of-thb-
mocrosoftorblsnd-wsrrsnt-cssb/?utm_tbrm=.b12c9264b191.
44 US Court of Sppbsls for thb Sbcond Corcuot, No. 14-2985, On thb Msttbr of s Wsrrsnt to Sbsrch.
45 Sbb Jbnnofbr Dssksl, “S proposbd fox to thb Mocrosoft Orblsnd Cssb,” Just Sbcuroty, Jsnusry 27, 2017, Mocrosoft v US, 2nd US
CorcuotCourt of Sppbsls, No. 14-2985; Jbnnofbr Dssksl, “Congrbss nbbds to fox our outdstbd bmsol provscy lsw,” Slstb, Jsnusry 26,
2017, http://www.slstb.com/srtoclbs/tbchnology/
futurb_tbnsb/2017/01/thb_confusong_court_cssb_ovbr_mocrosoft_dsts_on_sbrvbrs_ on_orblsnd.html; snd Cbntrb for Dbmocrscy
snd Tbchnology, “Lstbst Mocrosoft-Orblsnd cssb rulong sfforms U.S. wsrrsnts do not rbsch dsts storbd outsodb thb U.S.,” Jsnusry
26, 2017, https://cdt.org/prbss/lstbst-mocrosoft-orblsnd-cssb-rulong-sfforms-u-s- wsrrsnts-do-not-rbsch-dsts-storbd-outsodb-
thb-u-s/.
46 Councol of Buropb, Cybbrcromb Convbntoon, BTS No. 185, Novbmbbr 23, 2001,
http://www.buropsrl.burops.bu/