Microsoft confirmed it handed over BitLocker encryption keys to the FBI after a search warrant in a Guam unemployment fraud case. The company receives about 20 such requests annually and complies with valid court orders. This marks the first known instance where Microsoft provided an encryption key to law enforcement.

Unlike Apple and Meta, Microsoft's default BitLocker setting stores recovery keys on its servers for user convenience. Critics argue this architectural choice creates a privacy vulnerability. Apple's FileVault and WhatsApp allow users to store keys in encrypted cloud files, making them inaccessible to governments even with a warrant.

Privacy advocates warn this sets a dangerous precedent. With BitLocker's encryption proven unbreakable by law enforcement, Microsoft's compliance gives agencies broad access to a suspect's entire digital history. Experts say the company could adopt hardware-based key storage but chooses not to by default.