Microsoft Pitched Anti-Sex-Trafficking Tech To U.S. Attorneys

In January 2014, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in Seattle received an overture from Microsoft.

"Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me about human trafficking prevention yesterday," Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) Assistant General Counsel Matt Lundy wrote to Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Ye-Ting Woo in a January 10 2014 email.

"We in the DCU at Microsoft are very excited to play a part in helping to prevent technology facilitated human trafficking and would welcome the opportunity to meet with representatives of the WA Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking at the Microsoft Cybercrime Center in Redmond," Lundy wrote.

The January email was obtained by HardPressed through a public records request.

Lundy then wrote that he'd reserved a meeting space for a "round table discussion" with Microsoft, federal law enforcement and prosecutors for January 21, 2014.

Microsoft spokesman Brian Glickman told HardPressed that the outreach was routine "as part of longstanding collaboration between Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit and law enforcement on internet-facilitated crime and victim protection efforts. Engagements of this nature are a regular part of DCU's work."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Crisham forwarded Lundy's invite to members of the FBI Seattle Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF).

"Our office was contacted last week by Matt Lundy, Asst GC with Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit," Crisham wrote to the CETF. "Matt spoke about Microsoft’s interest in partnering with our office and law enforcement in developing technology that can assist in investigations and prevention in areas of human trafficking/sex trafficking and online child exploitation. We thought it might be a good idea to set up a meeting with Microsoft’s folks and representatives of federal/state law enforcement partners who work human trafficking cases to brainstorm ideas and share strategies."

DOJ Public Affairs Officer Emily Langlie told HardPressed that she "checked in on this with those who do our human trafficking cases and our child exploitation cases. I am told that nothing came of this – there was not anything presented that was appropriate for our work. No such partnerships are underway."

The FBI Seattle told HardPressed that "the FBI does not comment on the content of files that may have been released through a public records disclosure."

Around the time of Microsoft's outreach, then-chairman of Microsoft's Board of Directors, Bill Gates, and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were arranging a meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Gates and Epstein were in frequent contact in 2014 according to numerous emails released through the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA).

According to a transcript from a closed-door House Oversight Committee interview with Gates in June, 2026, Gates said that he "never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct." 

Gates appears in numerous photos released through the EFTA, however has not been publicly accused of wrongdoing by Epstein survivors. The Gates Foundation and Gates' website Gates Notes did not respond to requests for comment.

The FBI Seattle Division was actively involved in the investigation into Epstein, including interviewing numerous victims.

According to files released through the EFTA, the Supervisor Special Agent for an FBI Seattle squad tasked with investigating child sex trafficking wrote that one of his agents had a “close friend who is a higher-up at Microsoft,” who mentioned "the company distancing itself from Bill Gates to minimize exposure to any backlash that could come upon the company if information came out that Gates had been involved in illegal activity similar to that of Epstein."

A redacted name from the FBI New York Division responded, writing, "I have heard nothing like that."