NDM

Yahoo, Google and Apple also claim right to read user emails

Microsoft is not unique in claiming the right to read users' emails – Apple, Yahoo and Google all reserve that right as well, the Guardian has determined.

The broad rights email providers claim for themselves has come to light following Microsoft's admission that it read a journalist's Hotmail accountin an attempt to track down the source of an internal leak. But most webmail services claim the right to read users' email if they believe that such access is necessary to protect their property.

Microsoft's own terms of service allow the company to access content"when Microsoft forms a good faith belief that doing so is necessary [to] protect the… property of Microsoft". It made use of that right to read the email of an un-named journalist who had allegedly taken possession of the source code to Windows 8 thanks to an internal leak at the firm.

Following the revelation that Microsoft could, and did, read users' email,the firm's deputy general counsel told the Guardian that it would be tightening up its privacy policy. The new rules require an internal and external legal team to review any internal requests for access, and commit the firm to increased transparency over future requests.

I believe some people will not like the fact that their email are being monitored and watched by Microsoft because they want their own privacy, this will make Microsoft less unique from trying steal other companies ideas. This connotes that Microsoft are running out of originality.