Current Event 1

Microsoft is going to court with the Federal Government. Our current area of focus in class, this being the beginning of the semester, is the foundation of ethics. Thus, it is appropriate to analyze this event within the context of basic ethics; where are the lines of right and wrong in this situation? Certainly, each party has their own right to hold their position. The government has long had a history of prioritizing national safety and information over the privacy of individuals. However, there is a valid question raised now as to how those old practices might apply to the digital, and indeed the cloud, age. True, Microsoft is a company based in the United States, but they serve a worldwide consumer base. Does their ultimate allegiance lie with their customers, or with the US law? What is ultimately the most right thing to do in this situation? The most intriguing aspect of this court case is that Microsoft is arguing over the correct process of obtaining information that is stored in other countries. However, the decision will affect much more than just that issue. It's going to set a precedent for the right of data to be protected for any number of reasons, only one of which has to do with physical location. The decision made will be a decision on the subsequent morality of requesting and/or denying requests for information.