VOA慢速英语--微软公司起诉美国政府

AS IT IS 2016-04-17 Microsoft Sues US Government 微软公司起诉美国政府

Computer technology company Microsoft has brought a legal case against the U.S. government.

Microsoft says a law that permits agencies to demand to read emails or online files without their owners’ knowledge violates the Constitution.

The Reuters news agency reports that the company believes the government’s actions violate the Fourth Amendment¹ to the Constitution. That amendment bans “unreasonable searches and seizures³.”

Reuters also reports that Microsoft says the law violates the company’s First Amendment right to free speech.

The law in question is the Electronics Communications Privacy Act of 1986. It permits government investigators⁴ to examine emails and other electronic files without telling the owners of the documents. In most cases, a judge must give the investigators permission to do so.

Microsoft says the law was written before distant computer data storage centers, known as the cloud, were developed.

Microsoft is a major operator of cloud storage for computers. It says the government is using the new technology to increase its power.

The Justice Department says it is studying the lawsuit⁵. Daniel Rosenthal is a former U.S. attorney. He told the Associated Press news agency that forcing the government to tell the owners of files that they are being examined could hurt law enforcement efforts. He says doing so would let “child molesters, domestic abusers, violent criminals and terrorists” know that their emails and files are being read.

Microsoft Vice⁶ President and General Counsel Brad Smith said he understands that there are times when it is important not to tell people their files are being read. But he said “people should not lose their right(s) just because they are storing their information in the cloud.”

Microsoft says it received more than 5,600 federal demands for access to files between September 2014 and March 2015. It says more than half of the requests did not permit the company to tell the owners of the files that their information was being read.

Words in This Story

online - adj. connected to a computer, a computer network or the Internet; done over the Internet

seizure² – n. the act of taking something by legal authority

file - n. collection of records, documents or publications

data - n. information that is produced or stored by a computer

1 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

2 seizure   

n.没收；占有；抵押

参考例句：

• The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
• The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。

3 seizures   

n.起获( seizure的名词复数 )；没收；充公；起获的赃物

参考例句：

• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因，有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句

4 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

6 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。