In June 2013, documents leaked by Edward Snowden to The Guardian and The Washington Post identified Microsoft — where Bill Gates remained chairman — as the first company enrolled, in 2007, in the U.S. National Security Agency's PRISM surveillance program. Subsequent reporting alleged Microsoft had helped the government access user communications, including engineering a way around its own encryption on Outlook.com and easing NSA access to SkyDrive and Skype. Microsoft denied granting any government direct or blanket access, saying it turns over customer data only in response to lawful, specific legal demands. The disclosures made the company a flashpoint in the debate over tech firms and state surveillance.