Overview
- Court records show that on February 10, 2025 Microsoft supplied recovery keys for three BitLocker‑protected laptops seized in a Guam pandemic‑fraud probe, enabling access investigators could not otherwise obtain.
- Microsoft confirmed it provides BitLocker recovery keys in response to valid legal orders and said it receives roughly 20 such requests per year.
- The company can only comply when users have stored recovery keys in their Microsoft accounts, which is commonly the default on modern Windows setups.
- This Guam matter is the first publicly known instance of Microsoft handing BitLocker recovery keys to law enforcement, according to the reporting and court filings.
- Privacy advocates and Senator Ron Wyden criticized the practice and warned that centralized key storage increases risks of government overreach and potential misuse.