Re: No need for a back door
Microsoft agreed with the above cited (thanks Vimes) legal opinion, in Europe;
EU cloud data can be secretly accessed by US authorities
US-owned companies bound by Patriot Act, says Microsoft
4th July 2011
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/04/eu_customer_cloud_data_may_be_handed_over_by_microsoft/
[...]
Microsoft is set to launch a new cloud service next week. It said it will allocate its customers a region where their information will be physically stored, but said it could not guarantee that it would tell EU customers' details if US authorities sought access to their data.
"In a limited number of circumstances, Microsoft may need to disclose data without your prior consent, including as needed to satisfy legal requirements, or to protect the rights or property of Microsoft or others (including the enforcement of agreements or policies governing the use of the service)," Microsoft said in its online data storage services' privacy policy.
"As a general rule, customer data will not be transferred to data centers outside that region," Microsoft said in an explanation about geographic boundaries for its new service.
"There are, however, some limited circumstances where customer data might be accessed by Microsoft personnel or subcontractors from outside the specified region (eg, for technical support, troubleshooting, or in response to a valid legal subpoena)," the explanation said.
[...]