Compliance Management, Privacy

Google reveals 150 percent jump in gov’t requests for user data

Google has seen a 150 percent jump in requests for user information since it began publishing its data in 2009, and a 15 percent increase since the second half of 2013, according to the company's most recent global transparency report.

The data excludes requests made under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and through National Security Letters (NSLs). In the U.S. specifically, requests increased 250 percent since 2009 and 19 percent since the end of last year. Of the 31,698 user data requests received so far in 2014, which involved 48,615 accounts, Google handed over some user data in about 65 percent of cases.

Google indicated in its Public Policy Blog that it supports the USA FREEDOM Act, and would like to see updates to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.

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