Microsoft Got 27,000+ Law Enforcement Data Requests in Six Months, Rejecting 20%

Microsoft Reports 27,412 Law Enforcement Requests in Six Months

Microsoft received 27,412 requests for user data from law enforcement agencies between July and December 2025, the company revealed. According to Norman Barbosa, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Global Affairs, Law Enforcement and National Security at Microsoft, his team reviews every demand that arrives from anywhere in the world. The company rejected 20% of the requests entirely and handed over actual user content, such as emails, photographs, and documents, in only 5% of cases.

Over 60% of the requests resulted in non-content disclosure, meaning Microsoft shared basic subscriber information including email address, name, state, country, ZIP code, and IP address at the time of registration, along with details like IP connection history and billing information.

Officials Address European Kill Switch Fears

Speaking alongside David A. Newman, Partner and Co-Chair of the National Security and Crisis Management Practice at law firm Morrison & Foerster, Barbosa addressed European concerns that the United States could simply cut off access to American technology. Newman stated that there is no standing kill switch under US law allowing the government to turn access to technology on or off anywhere in the world. He noted that while the US government has legal authority to impose sanctions and export controls, those measures have focused overwhelmingly on actions against US adversaries, and any effort to cut off allies' access would raise fundamental legal and policy questions and assuredly end up in the courts.

Encryption and Tech Sovereignty Concerns

Barbosa said Microsoft applies the same principles whether a demand is based on criminal law or national security, and emphasized that no government has direct access to customer data or equipment in its data centers. The company says data in transit is encrypted, though there have been reports of Microsoft sharing encryption keys with the FBI. Barbosa added that when Microsoft sees a problem with an order, it is not afraid to go to court, and that governments must be specific about the evidence they need.

The remarks come as Europe pushes for tech sovereignty, with countries including Germany and France replacing Microsoft software with local open-source alternatives. Separately, the International Criminal Court moved from Microsoft to the European openDesk platform in 2025 after reports that Microsoft blocked the email of ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan following US sanctions on him, which the company denied.

Sources: Cybernews