Greenwald’s New Piece Targets Microsoft

[Galraedia]

The newest Glenn Greenwald bombshell exclusive story is out, and already people are hyperventilating on Twitter that it proves the NSA has “direct access” to Microsoft’s servers: Revealed: How Microsoft Handed the NSA Access to Encrypted Messages.

The claims made by the article (note that there are no source documents to ensure that nothing is being quoted out of context):

The documents show that:

• Microsoft helped the NSA to circumvent its encryption to address concerns that the agency would be unable to intercept web chats on the new Outlook.com portal;

• The agency already had pre-encryption stage access to email on Outlook.com, including Hotmail;

• The company worked with the FBI this year to allow the NSA easier access via Prism to its cloud storage service SkyDrive, which now has more than 250 million users worldwide;

• Microsoft also worked with the FBI’s Data Intercept Unit to “understand” potential issues with a feature in Outlook.com that allows users to create email aliases;

• Skype, which was bought by Microsoft in October 2011, worked with intelligence agencies last year to allow Prism to collect video of conversations as well as audio;

• Material collected through Prism is routinely shared with the FBI and CIA, with one NSA document describing the program as a “team sport”.

Notice — there’s nothing in here about “direct access” to anything, although there are lots of hints and suggestions and innuendo. What’s being described are negotiations between the NSA and Microsoft to develop protocols for handling information… but you have to read all the way down to the 13th paragraph before you get to the most important part of the article:

Read more: http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/42254_Greenwalds_New_Piece_Targets_Microsoft

[AllINeedIsCoffee]

1. Direct access. Insert new company name each week. Rinse. Repeat.

A media company whose most profitable publication is Auto Trader must stretch this out as long as possible.

[cantbeserious]

2. Thank You For Sharing - Your Cynicism Is Showing

eom

[Union Scribe]

13. AllINeedIsAnotherDUNameToSignBackUp

[AllINeedIsCoffee]

17. Thanks for that lovely personal attack.

[Blackford]

3. Ah Microsoft, everybody's favorite corporate whipping boy.

He should do a piece on the crappy Metro UI on standard PCs, and using touch on a standard PC is a crappy way to interface, as well as how Microsoft is late to the game for phones and tablets by several years.

[Cha]

4. IOW Typical

Greenwald bullshit.

[cantbeserious]

5. Thank You For Sharing Your Character Assassination Comments - We Are All Better Informed Now

eom

[Cha]

8. Greenwald takes care of that all by himself.

[cantbeserious]

10. Thank You For Sharing Your Opinion - Many Would Disagree With Your Conclusion

eom

[Mojorabbit]

11. +100 nt

[rhett o rick]

9. And you would prefer it if he was attacking Code Pink, Occupy, or Acorn.

You appear to be standing on the corporatist side of this war.

[Blue Bike]

6. You're more concerned with Microsoft being "targeted" than Americans being targeted by the NSA

No surprise.

And littlegreenfootballs? the conservative website? lol

[Luminous Animal]

7. hyperventilating on Twitter that it proves the NSA has “direct access”

how come Charles Johnson can't be bothered to provide any evidence of this hyperventilation?

[davidpdx]

12. I have no opinion on the article

But am not fond of Microsoft and even less so since they bought Skype. They have F'ed Skype up and made it impossible for those outside the US to buy Skype products without going through one of their distributors. I have a Skype phone number in the US that can be called to reach me here in Korea which is useful so that people can get in touch with you overseas. I found an end-around, but had to use a VPN to bypass being redirected to the distributor site.

[Alamuti Lotus]

14. slightly off-topic: LGF is seriously being offered as a source here?

I suppose it explains a lot, but..

[BlueCheese]

15. They turned from anti-Democrat to anti-Republican at some point.

But I think they're still anti-liberal, and apparently still fond of authoritarianism.

So it's better than quoting the RNC, I suppose.

[BlueCheese]

16. If anyone wants the actual article, instead of the review of the article...

Here it is:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data

[Vinnie From Indy]

18. Always a plus!

Thx!

[JaneyVee]

19. The Greenwald article actually states that the NSA does in fact have to get

A warrant for any US citizen.