Skype worked to enable Prism collection of video calls, [... top-secret] documents [from the NSA's Special Source Operations (SSO) division] show[s ...]. Microsoft has collaborated closely with US intelligence services to allow users' communications to be intercepted, including helping the National Security Agency to circumvent the company's own encryption:

Nine months after Microsoft bought Skype, the NSA boasted that a new capability had tripled the amount of Skype video calls being collected through Prism [...]. The audio portions of these sessions have been processed correctly all along, but without the accompanying video. Now, analysts will have the complete 'picture'. [...] ACLU technology expert Chris Soghoian said the revelations would surprise many Skype users: In the past, Skype made affirmative promises to users about their inability to perform wiretaps.

Feedback indicated that a collected Skype call was very clear and the metadata looked complete, the document stated, praising the co-operation between NSA teams and the FBI. Collaborative teamwork was the key to the successful addition of another provider to the Prism system. [...] The NSA was able to start tasking Skype communications [on 5 February 2011], and collection began [the following day]..

☞ In a statement, Microsoft said: When we upgrade or update products we aren't absolved from the need to comply with existing or future lawful demands.

☞ These communications [can] be collected without an individual warrant if the NSA operative has a 51% belief that: 1) the target is not a US citizen and 2) [it] is not on US soil at the time.

(The NSA's Special Source Operations (SSO) division [is] described by Snowden as the "crown jewel" of the agency. It is responsible for all programs aimed at US communications systems through corporate partnerships such as Prism. [...] Material collected through Prism is routinely shared with the FBI and CIA, with one NSA document describing the program as a "team sport".)

Microsoft has collaborated closely with US intelligence services to allow users' communications to be intercepted, including helping the National Security Agency to circumvent the company's own encryption. [... Top-secret] documents [from the NSA's Special Source Operations (SSO) division] show that:

The company worked ["for many months"] with the FBI [...] – which acts as the liaison between the intelligence agencies and Silicon Valley on Prism – [...] to allow the NSA easier access via Prism to its cloud storage service SkyDrive OneDrive (renamed). [...] "This success is the result of the FBI working for many months with Microsoft to get this tasking and collection solution established.";

☞ In a statement, Microsoft said: When we upgrade or update products we aren't absolved from the need to comply with existing or future lawful demands.

☞ These communications [can] be collected without an individual warrant if the NSA operative has a 51% belief that: 1) the target is not a US citizen and 2) [it] is not on US soil at the time.

(The NSA's Special Source Operations (SSO) division [is] described by Snowden as the "crown jewel" of the agency. It is responsible for all programs aimed at US communications systems through corporate partnerships such as Prism. [...] Material collected through Prism is routinely shared with the FBI and CIA, with one NSA document describing the program as a "team sport".)

Outlook.com encryption [was] unlocked even before official launch, [... top-secret] documents [from the NSA's Special Source Operations (SSO) division] show[s ...]. Microsoft has collaborated closely with US intelligence services to allow users' communications to be intercepted, including helping the National Security Agency to circumvent the company's own encryption:

• The agency already had pre-encryption stage access to email on Outlook.com, including Hotmail: [...] For Prism collection against Hotmail, Live, and Outlook.com emails will be unaffected because Prism collects this data prior to encryption.;
• MS [Microsoft], working with the FBI, developed a surveillance capability [...] to circumvent its encryption to address concerns that the [NSA] would be unable to intercept web chats [...]. Two months later, [...] Microsoft officially launched the [new] portal.

☞ In a statement, Microsoft said: When we upgrade or update products we aren't absolved from the need to comply with existing or future lawful demands.

☞ These communications [can] be collected without an individual warrant if the NSA operative has a 51% belief that: 1) the target is not a US citizen and 2) [it] is not on US soil at the time.

(The NSA's Special Source Operations (SSO) division [is] described by Snowden as the "crown jewel" of the agency. It is responsible for all programs aimed at US communications systems through corporate partnerships such as Prism. [...] Material collected through Prism is routinely shared with the FBI and CIA, with one NSA document describing the program as a "team sport".)