A receiver in bankruptcy moved the Court for access to the e-mail box of the bankrupt using the general investigative powers, where the law even specifically empowers diverting of all mail of the bankrupt to the receiver.
The Supreme Court held that provisions of law applicable to mail do not apply to e-mail. Unlike a motion to divert mail, reviewing an e-mail box means a search and seizure in the whole content of the archives of the box owner. The law enables demanding data from a third party on the debtor and it means that a liquidator of a company or a bankruptcy receiver may demand a third party to submit only "data or document" and that does not mean "free" access to the email account that will enable the receiver or liquidator to search as it sees fit. The internet service provider is the equivalent to a holder of a gatekeeper of a storage place of the bankrupt and the law does not enable receiving the key but only specific data or document held by the keeper.