DerekNewman
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Dropbox under fire for security concerns (updated)
Update: Dropbox has sent us a response to the issues raised in this article; it is reproduced in full at the end of this post. Popular cloud file syncing service Dropbox, much beloved by TUAW, has been in the news lately. On the one hand, it announced it had hit a new high of 25 million users, which is a number that is both pleasingly big and pleasingly round. On the other hand, it has been the target of some strongly worded criticism for its security features -- or, more accurately, problems with them. The most recent of these criticisms arose from an update to the Dropbox Terms of Service to state that if the government asks, it will hand over your files: As set forth in our privacy policy, and in compliance with United States law, Dropbox cooperates with United States law enforcement when it receives valid legal process, which may require Dropbox to provide the contents of your private Dropbox. In these cases, Dropbox will remove Dropbox's encryption from the files before providing them to law enforcement. This isn't terribly surprising, although on first glance it might sound awful. Consider the alternatives. If Dropbox receives a legally binding subpoena court order (thanks for the correction, JBB) in a criminal case demanding the release of data, what else could anyone expect it to do except hand the data over, right?
