Facebook received over 25,000 data requests in first half of 2013
28 Aug 2013
Facebook yesterday said it received over 25,000 government data requests in the first half of 2013, with the US accounting for largest number of requests followed by India.
According to the company's first "transparency report", Facebook received between 11,000 and 12,000 requests for data in the US, affecting between 20,000 and 21,000 users. The number of requests from 70 other countries totalled 14,800, according to the report.
The social networking site said the report included "both criminal and national security requests" but did not give a detailed breakdown.
In a statement the social network said, "We have reported the numbers for all criminal and national security requests to the maximum extent permitted by law."
"We continue to push the United States government to allow more transparency regarding these requests, including specific numbers and types of national security-related requests. We will publish updated information for the United States as soon as we obtain legal authorisation to do so."
The report comes at a time when US tech companies are under pressure after revelations of a secret programme that scooped up vast amounts of data from internet firms.
Tech firms, including Facebook, have been pushing for the release of more information on government data requests, in a bid to reassure customers.
The Guardian newspaper in a report said US authorities made 11,000-12,000 requests for information on 20,000-21,000 individuals over the six months, while the company complied in 79 per cent of cases. According to Facebook, it had to give a range for the US figures in order to give an indication of "all criminal and national security requests to the maximum extent permitted by law".
Facebook's figures give no details on the types of requests received or of what type of information it handed over. Facebook, along with Google and others are currently pressing Congress for greater clarity on such requests. The NSA had the authority to make demands regarding communications with non-US citizens and it does not allow companies to disclose even the most basic details of those cases.
Facebook said on its site, "As we have made clear in recent weeks, we have stringent processes in place to handle all government data requests. We believe this process protects the data of the people who use our service, and requires governments to meet a very high legal bar with each individual request in order to receive any information about any of our users.''
Facebook's report fails to make it clear as to whether the US figures took into account collection of communications under section 702 of the Fisa Amendments Act, whereby NSA could target non-US persons without an individual warrant.
The Guardian newspaper revealed in June that this was done via the agency's Prism collection programme with NSA documents claiming that Facebook had been a corporate partner since 3 June 2009.
According to the company's first "transparency report", Facebook received between 11,000 and 12,000 requests for data in the US, affecting between 20,000 and 21,000 users. The number of requests from 70 other countries totalled 14,800, according to the report.
The social networking site said the report included "both criminal and national security requests" but did not give a detailed breakdown.
In a statement the social network said, "We have reported the numbers for all criminal and national security requests to the maximum extent permitted by law."
"We continue to push the United States government to allow more transparency regarding these requests, including specific numbers and types of national security-related requests. We will publish updated information for the United States as soon as we obtain legal authorisation to do so."
The report comes at a time when US tech companies are under pressure after revelations of a secret programme that scooped up vast amounts of data from internet firms.
Tech firms, including Facebook, have been pushing for the release of more information on government data requests, in a bid to reassure customers.
The Guardian newspaper in a report said US authorities made 11,000-12,000 requests for information on 20,000-21,000 individuals over the six months, while the company complied in 79 per cent of cases. According to Facebook, it had to give a range for the US figures in order to give an indication of "all criminal and national security requests to the maximum extent permitted by law".
Facebook's figures give no details on the types of requests received or of what type of information it handed over. Facebook, along with Google and others are currently pressing Congress for greater clarity on such requests. The NSA had the authority to make demands regarding communications with non-US citizens and it does not allow companies to disclose even the most basic details of those cases.
Facebook said on its site, "As we have made clear in recent weeks, we have stringent processes in place to handle all government data requests. We believe this process protects the data of the people who use our service, and requires governments to meet a very high legal bar with each individual request in order to receive any information about any of our users.''
Facebook's report fails to make it clear as to whether the US figures took into account collection of communications under section 702 of the Fisa Amendments Act, whereby NSA could target non-US persons without an individual warrant.
The Guardian newspaper revealed in June that this was done via the agency's Prism collection programme with NSA documents claiming that Facebook had been a corporate partner since 3 June 2009.