* By Ryan Singel * February 24, 2010

Microsoft Takes Down Whistleblower Site, Read the Secret Doc Here

Microsoft has managed to do what a roomful of secretive, three-letter government agencies have wanted to do for years : get the whistleblowing, government-document sharing site Cryptome shut down.

Microsoft dropped a DMCA notice alleging copyright infringement on Cryptome’s proprietor John Young on Tuesday after he posted a Microsoft surveillance compliance document that the company gives to law enforcement agents seeking information on Microsoft users. Young filed a counterclaim on Wednesday — arguing he had a fair use to publishing the document, a full day before the Thursday deadline set by his hosting provider, Network Solutions.

Regardless, Cryptome was shut down by Network Solutions and its domain name locked on Wednesday — shuttering a site that thumbed its nose at the government since 1996 — posting thousands of documents that the feds would prefer never saw the light of day.

Microsoft did not return a call for comment by press time.

The 22-page document (.pdf) contains no trade secrets, but will tell Microsoft users things they didn’t know. (You can read it directly on your own computer from the above link, or read it inline below.)

For instance, Xbox Live records every IP address you ever use to login and stores them for perpetuity. While that’s going to be creepy for some, there’s an upside if your house gets robbed, according to the document : “If your investigation involves a stolen Xbox console, if the console serial number or Xbox LIVE user gamertag is provided and the console has been connected to the Internet, IP connection records may be available”.

Relacionada :

lea el documento que Microsoft trató de censurar (ENG)

Un documento interno de Microsoft que detalla el tipo de espionaje que Microsoft va a hacer por los en sus plataformas en línea MSN, Hotmail, Windows Live y Xbox. y el procedimiento para obtener direcciones IP fue filtrado por el sitio Cryptome que a las pocas horas recibió presiones por parte de Microsoft acusándolo de violación de copyright. Al rato el sitio fue sacado de linea por la empresa de hosting por violar Digital Millennium Copyright Act

Relacionada El eje del mal del software libre.

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(26 febrero 2010)

RTAmerica 26 de febrero de 2010 : Just how powerful are big corporations ? The website criptome published a Microsoft document that showed the company stores private user information. John Young says that Microsoft is just a front for law enforcement.