Verizon transparency report shows 150K government data demands in 2014

Verizon today released its second company transparency report, revealing nearly 150,000 government demands for consumer data during the first half of 2014.

In 2013’s entirety, Verizon saw 321,545 requests. These figures suggest that the total number of government data requests received by Verizon over the past six month’s are down; the stats for 2014 amount to less than half the firm’s 2013 total. That comparison is imperfect, however, as Verizon never disclosed the number of requests it received during the first half of 2013.

In a press release, Verizon says its report “is even better than [its] first one.” The report is largely bare, offering relatively little insight into the types of data shared with local, state, and federal authorities. One nugget of information reveals that Verizon receives “relatively few demands regarding [its] enterprise customers.” Consumer accounts are by far the most common targets of government data requests.

Verizon’s stats on demands tied to U.S. national security efforts offer even less insight. And Verizon harped on this fact in an official press release: “We repeat our call for governments around the world to make public the number of demands they make for customer data from telecom and Internet companies. Only governments can provide a comprehensive view of the demands they are making for information.”

“Protecting our customers’ privacy will always be a bedrock commitment at Verizon,” the company states. “While we have a legal obligation to provide customer information to law enforcement in response to lawful demands, we take seriously our duty to provide such information only when authorized by law.”