Microsoft denies giving US intelligence agencies broad access to data

Microsoft has been forced to defend itself against renewed claims that it has given US intelligence agencies widespread access to its data systems, including assisting the National Security Agency to read encrypted messages on Outlook.com, The Telegraph reports.

An internal intelligence community newsletter provided by the whistleblower Edward Snowden and published by the Guardian purportedly revealed “deep and ongoing” co-operation between Microsoft and the NSA and other agencies, the paper claimed.

Among the claims noted in the newsletter, which was marked “Top Secret”, was that Microsoft had collaborated closely with the NSA and FBI to provide access to its Outlook.com messaging system and its Skydrive cloud storage system.

However Microsoft defended itself against the suggestion that it had given blanket back-door access to the security agencies, saying in a statement to The Guardian that it provided customer data to government “only in response to legal processes”.