Microsoft is forced to grant access to a suspect's personal information in a Belgian criminal investigation.
The court initially asked the giant to share the message and call data, but it refused, arguing that it has no legal obligation to do so, since it is not a telecommunications provider. Note that under Belgian law, telecommunications operators must provide access to the data of users involved in criminal cases.
The judge ruled that Microsoft should be considered a telecommunications carrier and submit all logs as well as all of the suspect's stored messages.
Microsoft said the Luxembourg-based division could block the request, but the judge rejected that proposal as well, arguing that the data is located in Belgium. Luxembourg is Skype's country of origin.
The court went on to impose a $36,000 fine on Microsoft and ordered the company to comply as soon as possible. The company, however, in its defense, states that it is still considering its legal options and that it does not wish to disclose its users' data in the face of the higher court's decision.
Microsoft is reportedly embroiled in a similar legal battle in the United States, where the government wants the company to provide access to user data stored overseas. Of course, the company is also refusing to comply with the request. The dispute has already reached the US Supreme Court, with the giant not giving up easily.
