More than 30 government agencies from 23 countries requested user information from Twitter during 2012 – and the social media company complied with most of them.
During the year, Twitter received 1 858 requests for information, with the bulk of these – 1 009 – coming in the second half of the year. Most of these were from the US, and Twitter complied with 69% of them.
Most of the requests related to criminal investigations: 60% of them were in the form of a subpoena; 19% as a search warrant; and 11% a court order.
Twitter tells users where it has handed over personal information, unless prevented by law.
Twitter released these figures yesterday – Data Privacy Day – in its Twitter Transparency Report.
“We believe the open exchange of information can have a positive global impact,” writes Jeremy Kessel, manager: legal policy at Twitter.
“To that end, it is vital for us (and other Internet services) to be transparent about government requests for user information and government requests to withhold content from the Internet; these growing inquiries can have a serious chilling effect on free expression – and real privacy implications.
“It’s our continued hope that providing greater insight into this information helps in at least two ways: first, to raise public awareness about these invasive requests; second, to enable policy makers to make more informed decisions. All of our actions are in the interest of an open and safe Internet.”
Most of the requests related to criminal investigations: 60% of them were in the form of a subpoena; 19% as a search warrant; and 11% a court order.
Twitter tells users where it has handed over personal information, unless prevented by law.
Twitter released these figures yesterday – Data Privacy Day – in its Twitter Transparency Report.
“We believe the open exchange of information can have a positive global impact,” writes Jeremy Kessel, manager: legal policy at Twitter.
“To that end, it is vital for us (and other Internet services) to be transparent about government requests for user information and government requests to withhold content from the Internet; these growing inquiries can have a serious chilling effect on free expression – and real privacy implications.
“It’s our continued hope that providing greater insight into this information helps in at least two ways: first, to raise public awareness about these invasive requests; second, to enable policy makers to make more informed decisions. All of our actions are in the interest of an open and safe Internet.”