Social media giant Facebook on Wednesday said government requests for user account data rose by 27% in the first half of 2016, as compared to the second half of last year. Law enforcement agencies from the United States submitted the most number of requests, Facebook said in a blog post.
“For the first time, our report includes information about the requests we received from governments around the world to preserve data pending receipt of formal legal process[es],” the post said. The number of requests rose to 59,229 from 46,710, with more than half of them containing non-disclosure orders that prohibited the company from informing users of the data handover.
However, the number of requests to restrict content dropped by 83% during the same period, the company said. “In cases of emergency, Facebook may disclose information where we believe that the matter involves imminent risk of serious injury or death.”
The social media platform further said that it had scrutinised “each request for legal sufficiency, no matter which country was making the request”. “We’ll also keep working with partners in industry and civil society to push governments around the world to reform surveillance in a way that protects their citizens’ safety and security,” it said in the post.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!