Facebook has released its biennial transparency report on Thursday that details the government agencies' requests for user data during the second half of 2015. Besides Facebook, the report reveals requests received by Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram. Furthermore, Facebook has disclosed the number of censored posts for violating local laws in the countries of operation.
Government intervention to personal data from telephone and internet companies has become very usual nowadays. Such practice has been initiated since former US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden leaked classified details of a program to collect bulk telephone metadata in 2013.
Governments from different countries often request for basic subscriber information, IP addresses or account content, including peoples' online posts for the sake of investigations. In the US, around 60% of the requests are tagged with non-disclosure orders. Such orders restrict Facebook from notifying users of the government intervention, reports CNET.
Government requests for user data have increased 13% while the number of censored posts colliding local laws has grown more than double. The number has grown from 20,568 to 55,827. However, most of the posts have been censored centering a single image of terrorist attack in Paris during last November. The image snapped inside the Bataclan Theater after the attacks depicting several victims' remains, has violated French laws protecting human dignity, according to its government. Facebook authority has responded to the claim restricting access to more than 32,000 copies of the image. Notably mentioning, the image has been restricted only in France, reports TechCrunch. This is the first time Facebook has included details on non-disclosure orders since starting to publish the global request reports in 2013. The social media site contains 1.65 billion regular subscribers which represent one in every four people around the world, according to a report published in Fortune. The most popular social site scrutinizes every request and doesn't allow direct access or even back doors to individual's data. However, those requests may be tracked now by the enthusiasts region by region using Facebook's interactive map. Facebook expects the practice for government access to individual's information with non disclosure tag will turn an end with promulgation of Email Privacy Act. The act has been passed on Wednesday by the House of Representatives. The new law seeks for a warrant before accessing to users' data.
Facebook publishes a detailed biennial report on governments' requests for individuals' data since 2013 and the latest one has been published on Thursday. Meanwhile, the federal government has enacted Email Privacy Law on its previous day. Facebook has expressed deep concern over such practices while predicting for an end by dint of the new law.
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