back to article Google turns over user data in 94% of US demands

The US government filed more than twice as many demands for data about Google users than any other other country in the past six months, according to figures the search behemoth supplied Monday. What's more, according to the Google Transparency Report, Google fully or partially complied with the US demands in 94 percent of the …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Facepalm

    Doh!

    Baal is asking Mephisto for users souls. He complies with the request. Other famous demons watch closely without saying anything. Then the Archangel Gabriel complains that we should be careful because we don't know what the evil ones are doing.

    That is what I understood about this article.

  2. Charles Manning

    Breaking News: Company complies with Law!!!

    Surely the real issue is not whether Google hands over data to .gov, but that .gov has the authority under the law to request such data.

    US is controlled by the voters, so clearly the voters must want this.

    1. Eddy Ito
      Coffee/keyboard

      "US is controlled by the voters"

      Hahahahahahahahahahahaha.... lol rotflmao...

      Good one! A classic, hohoho.

      That's like saying we'll have a choice after the @&T+T-mob merger. Hehe-haha-hoho.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Pint

      Be more careful

      More to the point that people need to realise that if you do things online, there is a pretty good chance that someone will have a record of it. Additionally rather than lose their business or let things get messy in court, they will hand over any info about you. Quite frankly to most businesses they couldn't a monkey's wotnot if they hand over your details, it simply doesn't bother them.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Democratic countries are controlled by their voters...

      But not necessarily by a majority of the electorate. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance - someone once said... I/we expect our politicians, legislators, police and judiciary to be a bit sharper but, sadly, too many are not and their self interest prevails.

      When 'the electorate' stand up and try to be heard (Greece, Middle East, China, Britain ....) they'd better have the 'powers that be' on their side or it will all end in tears.

      American Judiciary seems to have more about it when it comes to trying to defend the people against the state but I don't live there so can't comment.

  3. JohnG
    Big Brother

    Foreigners

    It might be interesting to know what percentage of requests were for user data of non-citizens and non-residents.

    1. Getter lvl70 Druid
      Childcatcher

      The US Federal Government

      Does not consider Americans to be citizens The US Dept of Education bought shotguns a last year... What, pray tell, do they need weapons for? Drones for local cops and toys to record the contents of your phone on a traffic stop. I got pulled over for window tint - which was fine the previous three years I've owned the truck - gave me a warning even though there are cars in the police station parking lot with darker tint than mine... Basically a fishing expedition on their part. More and more intrusion into the lives of so-called citizens. Lastly, I offer the molestations of TSA as another fine example of governmental overreach and the projection of power over the citizenry.

      In other words, don't feel special.

  4. The Mole
    Stop

    6%

    Surely the real news story here is that fact that at least 6% of the requests are so overly broad and blatantly invalid that Google felt legally safe enough to not comply with them at all.

    In the case of Australia 1 in 5 requests were in this category!

    It's not clear from the story what proportion of requests are only partially valid but it raises serious about who authorizes the requests to be made and how well trained they are in what is actually legal.

    I'm no great fan of Google but in this case they should be praised for at least standing up to some of the requests.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    If you've lost something to hide

    Google will find it for the Government.

  6. davenewman

    Ireland made no requests

    at least from the government. But then they have more important things on their mind.

    1. Field Marshal Von Krakenfart
      FAIL

      like....

      like voting in reality shows, michael healy rae invokes employs the "somebody else did it and ran away" variation of the Nuremberg defence.

      http://www.thejournal.ie/michael-healy-rae-i-knew-nothing-about-it-164771-Jun2011/

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