home

Tag: Law enforcement requests

Google Report on Increase in Law Enforcement Requests for Data

Google has issued a transparency report detailing requests by law enforcement for user data. For the first time, the report includes a breakdown of the types of legal process used to compel companies to hand over user data.

Requests for user data are up 70% from 2009.
For the last 6 months of 2012:

  • 68 percent of the requests were made through subpoenas. (That is all that is required to obtain user-identifying information)
  • 22 percent were through ECPA search warrants. "These are, generally speaking, orders issued by judges under ECPA, based on a demonstration of “probable cause” to believe that certain information related to a crime is presently in the place to be searched."
  • The remaining 10 percent were mostly court orders issued under ECPA by judges or other processes that are difficult to categorize.

[More...]

(5 comments, 806 words in story) There's More :: Permalink :: Comments