RSS: Microsoft on the issues

Every year, more than 11 billion tons of waste are produced worldwide according to the United Nations Environment Programme. A byproduct of our daily lives and every sector of the world’s economies, the trash we discard pollutes our land, clogs our waterways, depletes our natural resources and contaminates the very air we breathe. We recognize the urgent... The post Microsoft commits to achieve ‘zero waste’ goals by 2030 appeared first on Microsoft on the Issues.

In January, Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella, President Brad Smith, and Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood launched a bold new environmental sustainability initiative focusing on carbon, water, waste and biodiversity. We began this work by announcing one of the most ambitious carbon commitments put forward by any company: Microsoft will be carbon negative by 2030 and... The post Progress on our goal to be carbon negative by 2030 appeared first on Microsoft on the Issues.

Today, the Court of Justice for the European Union issued a ruling in a case examining transfers of data from the EU. We appreciate that some of our customers may have questions about the impact of this ruling. We want to be clear: If you are a commercial customer, you can continue to use Microsoft... The post Assuring customers about EU cross-border data flows appeared first on Microsoft on the Issues.

Teens and adults in the Asia-Pacific region reported an uptick in online civility and more respectful digital interactions during the COVID-19 global pandemic, results from a new Microsoft research study show. Meanwhile, respondents in Latin America said online civility worsened, punctuated by an increase in the spread of false or misleading information. Nearly one-third (31%)... The post Online civility improved in APAC during COVID-19, declined in Latin America, Microsoft study appeared first on Microsoft on the Issues.

Today, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia unsealed documents detailing Microsoft’s work to disrupt cybercriminals that were taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic in an attempt to defraud customers in 62 countries around the world. Our civil case has resulted in a court order allowing Microsoft to seize control of key... The post Microsoft takes legal action against COVID-19-related cybercrime  appeared first on Microsoft on the Issues.

Around the world, 2020 has emerged as one of the most challenging years in many of our lifetimes. In six months, the world has endured multiple challenges, including a pandemic that has spurred a global economic crisis. As societies reopen, it’s apparent that the economy in July will not be what it was in January.... The post Microsoft launches initiative to help 25 million people worldwide acquire the digital skills needed in a COVID-19 economy appeared first on Microsoft on the Issues.

Data not only drives our modern world; it also bears enormous potential. Data is necessary to shape creative solutions to critical challenges including climate change, terrorism, income and racial inequality, and COVID-19. The concern is that the deeper you dig into the data, the more likely that sensitive personal information will be revealed. To overcome... The post New differential privacy platform co-developed with Harvard’s OpenDP unlocks data while safeguarding privacy appeared first on Microsoft on the Issues.

Today, we have an exciting announcement we believe will help increase election security while enabling election officials to take advantage of the advanced capabilities of cloud computing. For years, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and state and local governments throughout the United States have worked with the non-profit Center for... The post Increasing election security monitoring in cloud computing appeared first on Microsoft on the Issues.

Today’s sunny morning in Seattle brightened even further with the good news from the United States Supreme Court that restores legal protection for nearly 700,000 Dreamers, including more than 60 Microsoft employees. It was on their behalf that, in 2017, Microsoft filed a lawsuit with Princeton University and a Princeton student, Maria Perales Sanchez, to object to the rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. We... The post A Supreme Court ruling upholds the rights of the nation’s Dreamers  appeared first on Microsoft on the Issues.

In recent months, we’ve worked closely with political campaigns and parties who are protected by our AccountGuard threat notification service and conducted hundreds of security trainings ahead of the 2020 elections. We’ve heard one repeated request throughout these engagements: Those involved in the democratic process want more protection for what we call identity management, or... The post New tools to secure democracy appeared first on Microsoft on the Issues.