In an investigation, the U.S. Justice Department obtained a court order demanding that tech companies to turn over, in real time, data they want to know.
Tech companies reply that they embrace tougher encryption to their services that even they cannot breach, making them unable to comply. The conflicts between the government and tech companies increased as tech companies are trying to demonstrate their capabilities in protecting user information.
U.S. President Barack Obama has charged the White House, Homeland Security and cybersecurity officials, along with the Justice Department, the FBI and intelligence agencies, with proposing solutions to the this technology access issue.
The two sides are still getting around their differences, and see how they can corporate without losing much.
"Clearly, if the U.S. government wins, the door is open for other governments to reach into data centers in the U.S.," said Brad Smith, Microsoft's General Counsel. Other companies and civil liberties groups have been sending in their own opposing idea to the government's surveillance powers.
And for tech companies, data centers wherever they are on the globe, require a warrant before anyone can go peek inside it. According to Microsoft about their data centers that aren't in the U.S., they are protected privacy laws and are beyond the grip of U.S. authorities.