Government

How Many Times Has the Gov’t Asked Google for Your Data? And How Many Times Has Google Obliged?

Googles Fifth Transparency Report Shows U.S. Leading Pack in Requests From Government for Data

Google released its fifth transparency report on Sunday evening. (Image: Google Screenshot)

SAN FRANCISCO (The Blaze/AP) — 6,321. This number represents how many times within a six-month period the U.S. government asked Google for user data — more than any other country on Google’s July through December 2011 Transparency Report. This is a 6 percent increase compared to its previous reporting period.

Just how many times did Google turn over this requested data? The company complied 93 percent of the time, encompassing more than 12,200 accounts.

Googles Fifth Transparency Report Shows U.S. Leading Pack in Requests From Government for Data

(Image: Google Transparency Report Map)

As the U.S. authorities lead the charge, other governments around the world are gaining steam in targeting Google with more demands to remove online content and turn over information about people using its Internet search engine, YouTube video site and other services. Coming in second for number of requests by the government is India, although its 2,207 requests with 66 percent compliance by Google is a far cry compared to that of the United States.

Googles Fifth Transparency Report Shows U.S. Leading Pack in Requests From Government for Data

(Image: Google Transparency Report Map)

Google Inc. provided a glimpse at the onslaught of government requests in a summary posted on its website late Sunday. The breakdown covers the final six months of last year. It’s the fifth time that Google has released a six-month snapshot of government requests since the company engaged in a high-profile battle over online censorship with China’s communist leadership in 2010.

The country-by-country capsule illustrates the pressure Google faces as it tries to obey the disparate laws in various countries while trying to uphold its commitment to free expression and protect the sanctity its more than 1 billion users’ personal information.

Governments zero in on Google because its services have become staples of our digital-driven lives. Besides running the Internet’s most dominant search engine, Google owns the most watched video site in YouTube, operates widely used blogging and email services and distributes Android, the top operating system on mobile phones. During the past year, Google has focused on expanding Plus, a social networking service, that boasts more than 170 million users.

Many of the requests are legitimate attempts to enforce laws governing hot-button issues ranging from personal privacy to hate speech.

But Google says it increasingly fields requests from government agencies trying to use their power to suppress political opinions and other material they don’t like.

Googles Fifth Transparency Report Shows U.S. Leading Pack in Requests From Government for Data

(Image: Google Transparency Report Map)

“It’s alarming not only because free expression is at risk, but because some of these requests come from countries you might not suspect – Western democracies not typically associated with censorship,” Dorothy Chou, Google’s senior policy analyst, wrote in a Sunday blog post.

That comment may have been aimed at the U.S., where police prosecutors, courts and other government agencies submitted 187 requests to remove content from July through December last year, more than doubling from 92 requests from January through June.

Only Brazil’s government agencies submitted more content removal requests with a total of 194 during the final half of last year. But that figure was down from 224 requests in Brazil during the first half of the year.

Googles Fifth Transparency Report Shows U.S. Leading Pack in Requests From Government for Data

(Image: Google Transparency Report Map)

Brazil’s requests covered a more narrow range of content than the U.S. demands. The submissions from Brazil covered 554 different pieces of content while the U.S. requests sought to censor nearly 6,200 items.

One U.S. request from a local law enforcement agency asked Google to remove 1,400 YouTube videos for alleged harassment. Without identifying the requesting agency or the targeted videos, Google said it rejected the demand.

Googles Fifth Transparency Report Shows U.S. Leading Pack in Requests From Government for Data

(Image: Google Transparency Report Map)

Google wound up at least partially complying with 42 percent of the content removal requests in the U.S. and 54 percent in the Brazil. Web Pro News analysis shows comparing the first half of 2011 to the last, the increase of removal requests from the U.S. government was 800 percent, which it states is “unreal.”

One of these cases where Google complied with a request and deleted 640 videos came from the Association of Chief Police Officers. ACPO requested the videos of five users be removed for allegedly promoting terrorism, according to Today Online.

Other governments frequently reaching out to Google included Germany (103 content-removal requests, down 18 percent from the previous six-month period), and India (101 requests, a 49 percent increase).

At least four countries – Bolivia, the Czech Republic, Jordan and Ukraine – asked Google to remove content for the first time during the final six months of last year.

Governments also are leaning Google more frequently for information about people suspected of breaking the law or engaging in other mischief.

This story has been updated since its original posting to include more information. 

Comments (29)

  • vanman4446
    Posted on June 19, 2012 at 6:07pm

    I dumped every bit of google off my computer. You people would be wise to do the same thing. They track everything you do and turn ot over to Barry and his gang in DC

    Report Post »  
  • MRMANN
    Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:17pm

    I never use Google as my search engine because of Google’s collusion with the govt.
    I use only Yahoo or Bing, but for all I know, they have govt.contracts too.

    Report Post »  
  • MRMANN
    Posted on June 19, 2012 at 8:06am

    Disturbing, but no surprise.

    Report Post »  
  • Searchingforthelight
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:19pm

    If we forwarded a calendar through face-book to the world that said monday ice-cream flavors, tuesday cloud reports, wed earthquake reports, thurs ect. And everyone on the globe followed that calendar, would the investigators get bored and give up after a month?

    Report Post »  
  • saranda
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 5:44pm

    So funny to have a gb site commenting on cyber info gathering. TheBlaze.com is the worst of the sites I frequent, according to the Ghostery I use to identify and block it. What a freaking hypocrite.

    Report Post »  
  • Verum Ad Potentia
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 5:07pm

    No warrent? No problem!

    Report Post » Verum Ad Potentia  
  • Individualism
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 4:33pm

    Boycott Google, stop using their products and collapse them and same to any other group that tracks and sends off your info to goverment.

    Report Post » Individualism  
  • ContinentalArmy
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 4:22pm

    I said it before some time ago, that Google and Facebook both are Government Spying Systems! That is the very reason I DO NOT USE EITHER ONE! This Admin. has gone way out of CONTROL under Socialist Ruler Obama! It’s time for a Change Alright!! Get Obama OUT!!!

    Report Post »  
    • WakingSheep
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 5:37pm

      The Patriot Act was passed under Bush.

      This started before this administration.

      Don’t get me wrong; I can’t stand the marxist.
      Place blame where blame is due though. Not just when there is a “D” involved.

      Report Post »  
    • theblazerunner
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:30pm

      2headed snake…been that way for many decades

      Report Post » theblazerunner  
  • 65Plus
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:39pm

    “Over 20 cookies” on the Blaze?? I use “Ghostery” and it tracks 16 on the Blaze, up to 26 on other sites. I like blocking the spyware – it’s like swatting in “Whack-a-Mole.” No compatibility problems whatsoever with Ghostery so far. Try it. Also use http://www.ixquick for searching – Google is the IT arm of Obama.

    Report Post » 65Plus  
  • Micmac
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:33pm

    Why I avoid Google and Facepage. At what point will this govt turn on John Q. and label everyone a terrorist. NDAA anyone? Censorship is the 1st step towards Utopia. I don’t live under the radar, but why strenghten the signal?

    NoBama 2012

    Report Post »  
    • OniKaze
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 3:27pm

      Actually, they label ALL american citizens as “Terrorists”.

      Not up front, but if you look at the D.o.J.’s definition of “Terrorist” you will find that about 95% or law abiding citizens qualify under definition as a “Terrorist”.

      Why? you may ask? Simple…. If they want to arrest and detain you, and they can’t find ANY other charges that can hold you, they will play this trump card… I have personally witnessed this. AND I have heard an official in the field SAY that this is why they did it…

      Welcome to the “Land of the Indentured”, and home of the “too afraid to stand up for whats right”.

      Its sad, but true..

      Report Post » OniKaze  
  • battles
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:32pm

    This is why I use an encrypted proxy server for everything, especially google. If I want to look at a legal sight that the gov might possibly try to use against me in the future (remember Richard Jewel, Dr. Hatfield, Ruby Ridge and others attacked by our government), I always go to it through Tor.

    Report Post » battles  
  • Daveed
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:10pm

    It is guantserve, Advertising.com,gwallet.com,visual revenue.com, Sedo.com, collective medica.net mathtag.com, tribalfushio.com, syn.vertcalacuity,jimp.clickbooth.com, urc.taboolasyndication,bluekai.com, medica6degrees.com, invite media.com,uidrelestar.com.

    Report Post »  
  • progressiveslayer
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:09pm

    I wonder what the feds want with all our info? The feds wouldn’t have a nefarious reason for wanting the data because they care so much about us,they tell us what to eat,drive and how much exercise we need.They tell us what we can and can‘t do with our ’private’ property.

    They even grope us in public when we want to fly and they’ll strip search us to make us really really safe.Pretty soon we won’t have to think for ourselves because government in conjunction with data miners will do it all for us,we’ll all be obedient serfs.

    Report Post » progressiveslayer  
  • Daveed
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:06pm

    I was shocked how many cookies invade my computer every time on log on to the Blaze, but not only that, when I go to a new story on the site, it just keeps adding and adding cookies. A lot of companies all getting bits of informaton, who cares if it does not identify people, (although I bet it does) it is still personal information on choices, preferences, etc.

    Report Post »  
  • LeadNotFollow
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:09pm

    …
    GOOGLE is in bed with Obama.

    Report Post »  
    • Workingthedirt
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:36pm

      Thanks for another picture, I won’t be able to get out of my head. Gotta wonder though what their children would look like. Barroogle Oboogle. Does have a certain ring to it.

      Report Post » Workingthedirt  
    • JRook
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:51pm

      Yo Liz how about you let us know how much the blaze gets paid for the 20 plus third party cookies it loads at the beginning of a session. And how much those companies bet paid selling the data you let them collect via your site.

      Report Post »  
  • theblazerunner
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 12:54pm

    Transgendered Marriage Proposal At White House
    http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2012/06/17/Transgendered-Marriage-Proposal-At-White-House

    peace…im out.

    Report Post » theblazerunner  
  • theblazerunner
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 12:50pm

    Web Pro News analysis shows comparing the first half of 2011 to the last, the increase of removal requests from the U.S. government was 800 percent, which it states is “unreal.”

    time to pardon and pacify…leave them to rot.

    treason and sedition…

    Report Post » theblazerunner  
  • NineteenEighty4
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 12:49pm

    At least we’re number one at crippling our own rights of privacy. Beat that, Commie China!

    Report Post »  
  • Tigress1
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 12:49pm

    What would be even more interesting is if we knew what type of content the U.S. asked to have removed. Could it possibly be information about Obama?

    Report Post » Tigress1  
    • Cavallo
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:37pm

      If that is the case, it will be a matter of national security and they’ll never release it.

      Report Post » Cavallo  

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