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Google shows official data calls

2010-04-21 12:35:21

By Maggie Shiels

Technology reporter, BBC News, Silcon Valley

For the first time Google has released details about how often countries around

the world ask it to hand over user data or to censor information.

Brazil tops the list with 3,663 data requests while the US made 3,580 and the

UK came a distant third with 1,166.

Just last month the internet giant pulled its search engine out of China over

online censorship issues.

Google said it cannot provide statistics on requests from China which are

regarded as state secrets.

Brazil was also made the highest number of requests to Google to remove content

with 291 calls between July and December 2009. In second place was Germany with

188, India with 142 and the US with 123 requests.

The search giant has launched an online tool breaking down the figures which it

hopes will be "just the first step toward increased transparency".

"The vast majority of these requests are valid and the information needed is

for legitimate criminal investigations or for the removal of child pornography,

" said David Drummond, Google's chief legal officer.

" We believe that greater transparency will lead to less censorship. Unless

companies, governments and individuals do something, the internet we know is

likely to become ever more restricted - taking choice and control away from

users and putting more power in the hands of those who would limit access to

information."

Google has been at the centre of a high profile battle with China over the

issue of censorship. It stopped censoring results earlier this year after the

Gmail accounts of users associated with human rights groups were hacked.

The company said the attacks had originated in China while the Chinese

authorities denied any involvment.

Inspiration

Google's "government's request tool" was unveiled on the same day that Canada's

privacy commissioner sent an open letter to the company regarding privacy

issues.

Officials from 10 nations backed the complaint sent directly to Google boss

Eric Schmidt.

The California based firm said any suggestion that their release was done to

deflect from that news was "unrelated".

"We have been noticing a trend with these requests and working on this

initiative for a long time, " Scott Rubin, a senior spokesman with the company

told BBC News.

"This is really about our ongoing quest to make information accessible and we

are hoping this will inspire other companies to share data and become part of

the conversation people are having about the scope of these kinds of requests."

Google said it was disclosing the information "in the spirit" of principles

laid out by the Global Network Initiative, a group that promotes freedom of

expression online. Yahoo and Microsoft are also part of the organisation.

Google said that to date 40 governments censor information compared to just

four in 2002.

"Google's numbers are not nearly as transparent as they could be," said Tom

Krazit of technology news site Cnet.com.

"The tool doesn't break out the data for the number of times Google complied or

refused requests for information on individuals. It does say how often - in

general - it complies with takedown requests, but does not provide specifics."

Google said it is working to perfect the information and that "it will get

better". The next release will be in six months' time.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/technology/8633642.stm

Published: 2010/04/20 22:45:19 GMT