Microsoft Gave FBI Keys To Unlock Encrypted Data, Exposing Major Privacy Flaw

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Source: Forbes

DAILY COVER
Microsoft Gave FBI Keys To Unlock Encrypted Data, Exposing Major Privacy Flaw

The tech giant said it receives around 20 requests for BitLocker keys a year and will provide them to governments in response to valid court orders. But companies like Apple and Meta set up their systems so such a privacy violation isn’t possible.

ByThomas Brewster,Forbes Staff. Senior writer at Forbes covering cybercrime, privacy and surveillance.
Jan 23, 2026 at 06:30am EST

Early last year, the FBI served Microsoft with a search warrant, asking it to provide recovery keys to unlock encrypted data stored on three laptops. Federal investigators in Guam believed the devices held evidence that would help prove individuals handling the island’s Covid unemployment assistance program were part of a plot to steal funds. ... The data was protected with BitLocker, software that’s automatically enabled on many modern Windows PCs to safeguard all the data on the computer’s hard drive. BitLocker scrambles the data so that only those with a key can decode it.

It’s possible for users to store those keys on a device they own, but Microsoft also recommends BitLocker users store their keys on its servers for convenience. While that means someone can access their data if they forget their password, or if repeated failed attempts to login lock the device, it also makes them vulnerable to law enforcement subpoenas and warrants. ... In the Guam case, it handed over the encryption keys to investigators.

Microsoft confirmed to Forbes that it does provide BitLocker recovery keys if it receives a valid legal order. “While key recovery offers convenience, it also carries a risk of unwanted access, so Microsoft believes customers are in the best position to decide... how to manage their keys,” said Microsoft spokesperson Charles Chamberlayne. ... He said the company receives around 20 requests for BitLocker keys per year and in many cases, the user has not stored their key in the cloud making it impossible for Microsoft to assist.

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Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/

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