According to a new report from internet security and technology company Techrobot, in 2020, the US government requested and received more user data from tech companies than any other country.
This study analyzedapples,FacebookwithTwitterThe transparency report between 2019 and 2020 found an increase in requests for user data in 15 countries.
In the first quarter of 2020 alone, the US made 6,6598 data requests, an increase of 21% over the previous year. Of these requests, 76% (about 50,000 pieces of information) were approved and shared by technology companies.
Many Americans are still skeptical and concerned about social media companies providing their data to third parties, including the US government.
The US made the most requests for Facebook and Twitter information, 61,528 and 3,429, respectively. Furthermore, the number of data requests from the US was six times higher than Germany, which ranked second.
Overall, the number of data requests increased significantly in several countries, such as Denmark and South Korea. From 2019 to 2020, the number of requests from both countries increased by 400%, with Germany requesting the most information from Apple.
Apple said in its transparency report: “The circumstances of government requests may vary, with law enforcement agencies working on behalf of customers requesting help, including cases involving stolen or lost devices and credit card fraud. Furthermore, in an emergency situation, these requests may relate to an emergency where personal safety may be imminent.”
Commenting on its transparency guidelines, Facebook said, “We will only comply with government requests for user information if we sincerely believe that the law requires us to do so. When we do comply with the requirements, we will only provide information specific to that requirement.”
When approving government information requests, Facebook can generate basic user metadata such as the user's name, payment information, email, and IP address, and stored content such as photos, videos, and messages.
pursuantTwitterInformation request guidelines, the company reserves the right to disclose user information in emergency situations and routine legal requirements issued by law enforcement, but”
In appropriate circumstances, Twitter will refuse incomplete or inappropriate requests for account information, such as ostensibly invalid or overly broad requests.”
Over the past few years, technology companies have had numerous disputes with each other and with the US government over the confidentiality of user data.