Does the Cloud Represent New Legal Challenges for U.S Law Enforcement?

The Cloud is a model for computing that provides new opportunities for consumers, businesses — and yes, even criminals. As a result, one question that has emerged is: What is the reach of U.S. law enforcement agencies into the cloud, and to what extent are they able to operate in jurisdictions around the world?

In a conference call with press on the subject of Cloud Computing and Data Privacy, U.S. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Bruce Swartz addressed a number of myths about the cloud and how existing laws pertain to it. Swartz noted that there seems to be some controversy about the ability of U.S. law enforcement agencies to access information in the cloud.

“There is a myth that the advent of cloud computing changes everything or has somehow presented us with new problems that we haven’t had before,” Swartz said. “In fact, while cloud has some important advantages for consumers and others, it doesn’t present any issues that have not always been present as long as there have been Internet service issues.”

Read the full story at eSecurityPlanet:
U.S. DOJ: The Cloud Provides No Legal Cover for Criminals

Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at InternetNews.com, the news service of the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist