Microsoft's General Counsel has reportedly called for setting up an international convention entrusted with the task of creating surveillance and data-access rules across borders to protect privacy and businesses.
The company's legal chief Brad Smith called for an international legal framework to create spying rules, as the current legal structures were outdated.
Smith said that the problem is that governments still rely on international legal processes that were created in the 1800s, adding that under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty or MLAT, government authorities must go through bureaucratic hurdles that address 21st century problems at 19th century speed, Cnet reports.
As the World Economic Forum kick starts today, Smith is said to participate in the panel discussion about the consequences of public concern over surveillance, data security, and privacy.
Post the mega NSA revelations by whistleblower Edward Snowden, Smith hoped the discussions could lead to the surveillance and data-access convention which he believes, is much needed.
Recently, US President Barack Obama formally announced changes to the alleged spy-ops carried out by the National Security Agency and ordered that the agency should not store phone surveillance data and seek court's permission to access the data from a yet-to-be-decided third party.
