Facebook releases 3rd government request report, sees 24% increase in requests

Today, Facebook released its third government request report, showing an overall increasing trend in requests for data and content restrictions.

During the first half of 2014, Facebook has received 34,946 requests for data from governments around the world, a 24 percent increase in since the second half of 2013. The company defines those as “requests to Facebook and many other companies seeking account information in official investigations.”

It’s also seen a 19 percent increase in content restrictions since the second half of 2013. These arise when local government laws restrict the content that can be shared in that jurisdiction. However, even when complying with those laws, Facebook says it only restricts access to that content in the requesting country, only entirely removing content when it violates the company’s own community standards.

For context, Twitter received 2,058 information requests during the same period, a 46 percent increase since the second half of 2013, and Google saw a 15 percent increase during the same period. Twitter also saw an increase by 14 percent of content removal or withholding requests from the second half of 2013.

Facebook’s new report also divulges that during the past year, “a court in New York that demanded we turn over nearly all data from the accounts of nearly 400 people.” This was the largest request the company has received to date, it says. After losing the case in a lower court, the company is currently appealing to a New York appellate court, which will decide the case later this year.

The company also used this opportunity to remind us of its support for the USA Freedom Act, as well as its hopes that Congress updates the Electronic Communications Privacy Act to mandate warrants to force it turn over account information.