Microsoft, Google, Facebook and Yahoo file motions in FISA Court

Today, Microsoft, Google, Yahoo! and Facebook all the appeals filed with the FISC (USA Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court) to allow that release aggregate data on the number of requests they receive from the government.

Microsoft and Google filed proposals for several weeks, the process has been delayed at the request of the government until recently that the parties negotiate. The negotiations failed and the issue will be discussed at the FISC.

Today, Microsoft and Google filed motions changed with more details on what they wanted to give. They joined Yahoo! and Facebook, which introduced similar proposals to the FISC.

The movements are formulated in a similar way, arguing that the government has no reasonable claim that releasing the information would prejudice the legitimate government interest, and that in any case the ban is a violation of the First Amendment freedom of expression of society.

Facebook asks to be able to release:

1. The total number of FISA court orders it has received during a 6 month period, if any, under specific FISA authorities, such as:

1. Physical Search Orders
2. Business Record Orders
3. Wiretap and Pen Register/Trap and Trace orders
1. The total number of user accounts specified in such FISA orders
2. The total number of Directives it has received during the period  under 18 U.S.C. § 1881a, if any
3. The total number of user accounts specified under such directives.
4. The number of requests that called for content of communications versus those that called for transaction or subscriber information.

Yahoo!'s and Google's motions are identical as to what they request and are even more specific:

1. FISA orders based on probable cause (Titles I and III of FISA, and sections 703 and 704);
2. Section 702 of FISA;
3. FISA Section 12 Business Records (Title V of FISA); and
4. FISA Pen Register/Trap and Trace (Title IY of FISA).

Elop moves from long shot to shoo-in as next Microsoft CEO

Former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop has moved to a leadership position as the favorite to win the chairmanship of the Chief Executive of Microsoft , according to the online bookmakers .

Stephen Elop is now seen as the favorite for the CEO of Microsoft office. (Photo : Mickey Aldridge )

A little over a week, the UK-based Ladbrokes Elop had 5-1 on his list of possible replacements for the outgoing head of CEO Steve Ballmer . Until Sunday , however , the odds had been drastically reduced : Elop , is still the favorite , was 1-4 .

Elop bet $ 100 to get the nod again a gain of only $ 25 , compared to the prior probabilities , that the same bet $ 100 would have produced a profit of $ 500.

Another PaddyPower betting , probably even less attractive to Elop . The company is listed on the Ireland of 1-12 , meaning someone would have to put $ 120 for the opportunity to earn a profit of only $ 10.

What has changed ? Microsoft's planned acquisition of Nokia , the Finnish phone maker Elop has directed since 2010 .

On Tuesday , Microsoft announced it will pay € 3790000000 ($ 5 billion ) for "substantially all " of the devices and services companies Nokia and € 1.65 billion ( $ 2,170 million) to license patents from Nokia. If the deal passes regulatory scrutiny in the U.S. and elsewhere, and closes in early 2014 , how do you expect Microsoft , Elop and several other senior executives of Nokia will become employees of Microsoft .

Elop , 49, will assume the title of executive vice president of devices, one of the groups in the revised corporate structure of Microsoft , and replacing Julie Larson -Green, who held the post for less than two months. Larson -Green report to Elop joined Microsoft after .

His return to Microsoft , the odds makers have concluded , Elop makes the obvious favorite .

Ladbrokes also cut their candidates from the list of the original 26 to only 11 , and changed the odds for others.

Sheryl Sandberg , COO of Facebook , the share increased from 40 to 1-7 for one good enough for second place in the table of Ladbrokes . Steven Sinofsky , overthrown by Microsoft in November last year - apparently after colliding with Ballmer - fell 8-1 to 12 for 1 , but remained in third.

Ladbroke and were not the only PaddyPower betting Elop . Many analysts and observers have also used it as the most likely replacement for Ballmer , Elop perhaps assuming that degradation would not unless there was a clear understanding that he was appointed CEO of Microsoft .

Some experts , however, have brought to light other than Ladbrokes promoted , including Kevin Turner , COO of Microsoft ( 16-1 ) , and Satya Nadella , head of the company and the Cloud ( 20-1 ) .

In interviews, Ballmer said nothing about the possibility of Elop , besides the obvious , that Elop would be an internal candidate rather than an external one. Ballmer also said the CEO search continues.