Microsoft Confirms Court-Ordered BitLocker Key Releases

FBI Accessed Encrypted Windows Devices Via BitLocker Keys, Microsoft Says Chris Riotta (@chrisriotta) • January 23, 2026

A decision by Microsoft to supply BitLocker recovery keys to the FBI has drawn renewed attention to how encryption systems are designed - and whether storing keys in the cloud weakens their security.

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The tech giant confirmed Friday that it turned over to the FBI recovery keys in 2025 for Windows devices encrypted with BitLocker. It will continue to comply with court orders from federal investigators when it has access to those keys and receives lawful legal requests from federal investigators, it said.

BitLocker, which encrypts data stored on Windows PCs and encourages users to back up recovery keys to cloud accounts to avoid permanent data loss, is widely used across consumer, enterprise and government environments.

While Microsoft describes BitLocker's service ...