No. 17-2October Term 2017Decided Apr 17, 2018
United States v. Microsoft Corp.
This case concerned whether Microsoft had to turn over a customer's emails to the federal government under a Stored Communications Act warrant when the emails were stored on servers outside the United States.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 17, 2018
- What it's about
This case concerned whether Microsoft had to turn over a customer's emails to the federal government under a Stored Communications Act warrant when the emails were stored on servers outside the United States. After Congress passed the CLOUD Act and the government obtained a new warrant, the Supreme Court did not decide that issue and instead vacated the lower-court judgment and sent the case back as moot.
Question presented
Whether a United States provider of email services must comply with a probable-cause-based warrant issued under 18 U.S.C. 2703 by making disclosure in the United States of electronic communications within that provider's control, even if the provider has decided to store that material abroad.
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit / Decision released Apr 17, 2018
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Timing
Decided April 17, 2018
The Court released its decision on April 17, 2018 without hearing oral argument.
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jun 1, 2026
- Method
- Methodology