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Google Report Shows Governments Want More Private Data
judgecorp writes "The latest Google Transparency Report, which tallies the number of times personal data is requested from Google, shows that governments are becoming more inquisitive than ever. Requests for user data have gone up by 70 percent since Google started these reports in 2009 — but the report shows Google is getting better at saying no: in 2009 it complied — fully or partially — with 76 percent of requests, and that figure is now down to 66 percent."
This report is the first to feature requests broken down by the legal process used.
More like governments are overreaching asking for data they have no legal right to than ever before.
I feel more allegiance to Google than the US government tbqh.
If the requests went up by 70% and the the amount of "no"s dropped by 20%. They are not "getting better at saying no" on a raw numerical basis.
Think about it.
If Google voluntarily encrypted messages between Google users (Gmail, GApps), and any message stored on their servers? That way, even their own employees couldn't violate other peoples' privacy?
Pity that Google even has user's private data to give to governments
Requests are up 70%, but compliance is down to 66 percent which still means (napkin math) that Google is servicing 10% MORE requests in total.
I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
I'm not talking about the lip service. I'm talking about what people actually do. I have a placeholder facebook page (not an active user) and I regularly get spammed with activity updates from "friends." People seem to have no hesitation about what they post. And, I don't just mean kids. Until people show they care, it'll just get worse.
I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
Because giving overweening governments MORE tax money from our pockets works SO WELL!!!!
I thought they knew every thing all ready
Despite the appearance of the fulfilment rate going down, if you do the math, since requests are up 70%, Google is still supplying a little over 20% more private data than they were in 2009. It would be nice to have the exact numbers or percentages of partial vs. full requests AND how much information is requested on average. These statistics really do not shed much light on anything. For example: A full request compliance could be as innocent as your GMail account name. A partial request compliance could be as much as everything they've excluding your credit card numbers. (which still wouldn't leave you feeling very safe, despite being a 'partial compliance')
Even if Google did say no, which I doubt they do for anything that appears even somewhat serious, I somehow doubt that intelligence agencies with billion dollar budgets and long histories of shady behavior and violence are just going to accept that. I'm sure the NSA is going to back right down after Google lays down the law...
Furthermore, do people honestly believe that both domestic and foreign intelligence agencies haven't already infiltrated places like Google and Facebook? Do you think that they're just going to sit on the sidelines while places like Google and Facebook build comprehensive profiles and network graphs on large portions of the population?
Move along - nothing to see here. It should be obvious to anyone who stops and thinks, for even a brief moment, that as more people move more and more of their life online that there will be more requests to access that information.
And when you break down the numbers it works out to about a hundred a day, and since Google doesn't specify that this is limited to Feds, one is forced to assume it includes all governmental bodies at all levels. As a result, I'm not horrified that the number is so high but rather I find it interesting that the number is so low.
File this under the No Shit category and move on with our days shall we?
I got here through a series of tubes
Requests for user data have gone up by 70 percent since Google started these reports in 2009 â" but the report shows Google is getting better at saying no: in 2009 it complied â" fully or partially â" with 76 percent of requests, and that figure is now down to 66 percent."
unless this is worded poorly, Google is giving out even more info...
if in 09 they had 100 requests and they complied with 76% that would be 76 records... but if requests have gone up 70% (170 requests) and its "down" to 66% compliance, that's still 92 records!
Thanks to file sharing, I purchase more CDs
Thanks to the RIAA, I buy them used...
At least for US citizens should be the fact that the US government has increased their requests by astronomical amounts, and is the majority of the requests. 21,389 requests for private data of 33,634 This makes it obvious that these requests are not all "give me info on John Doe", but rather "Give me info on Jane and John. Now to the point I start with: According to this, the US owns at least a third of all of the requests. You _should_ be asking why and not just shrugging off this information.
No, we are not suffering from a rash of terrorism in the US (unless we go and rightfully call what the self proclaimed elites are doing terrorism). The Government is systematically shutting up anyone that observes their first amendment rights, especially those that begin to make headway with the sheople. OWS and the admitted collusion between DHS, FBI, TSA, Local Police departments, and Banks should be more than an obvious glimpse at how big the problem is. Better get to waking up the neighbors, this won't get better on it's own.
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
Interesting on the face of it but without data by requesting agency it really doesn't tell us too much. Are most of the requests coming from municipal or state authorities? Federal? If the latter, which agencies? Short of a NSL they should have no legal problem providing that kind of summary info.
Google provides 100% of its data to the NSA, and other 'deep' intelligence agencies. Google was created and funded for this purpose, and also to create hardware/software systems that the intelligence agencies could use for their own 'shadow' Google systems (the 'shadow' systems are where mined data and other information is stored and processed by the NSA etc).
Likewise, Facebook exists purely to persuade as many people as possible to reveal details about their lives. The recent 'graph' feature is just another NSA goldmine.
Govenments like that in the USA have an 'onion' model, with multiple layers operating largely independently of each other. Propaganda stories like this article refer to requests from 'upper' layers of government, where the pretence of Google as an independent entity is played out.
Morons are told to assume the mass monitoring of the Human population is to find 'terrorists' etc. In reality, the purpose of such surveillance is an attempt to understand the 'mob' more perfectly, and thus control the mob, directing it in directions desired by those that rule. For instance, any concept of democracy disappears in any nation stupid enough to use 'majority wins' voting rather than true 'proportional representation', because of systems like Google and Facebook. Why? Because near perfect real-time intelligence gathering on the collective mind of the mob allows propaganda methods to be perfectly tailored to the desired result.
If you are in power, you use that power to control the output of the mass media. Thus you control the messages the mob receives on a moment by moment basis. Facebook and Google provide the feedback, allowing perfect assessment of the impact of the propaganda messages.
Of course, Google and Facebook also allow those in power to preempt emerging 'political' movements that would threaten the status quo. Any sufficiently powerful movement MUST have visible presence on Internet services like these, allowing flawless tracking, but also providing for sabotage opportunities. The book '1984' explored a world where the State existed as a consequence of perfect surveillance and control of the masses. Those that ruled in the world of '1984' didn't have to fear replacement or overthrow, because they controlled the very mechanisms that rendered such acts impossible.
Today, we have reached the same point in nations like the USA and UK. People THINK they vote, but they discover that regardless of choice, the same policies always progress. Sure, the 'right wing' party in power takes the opportunity to do some 'right wing' stuff, and likewise the left-wing, but the people that rule NEED access to both kinds of policy, same as you need a hot and cold tap when running a bath.
We see the process in the disarming of citizens in every mock-democratic state. The excuse given to the mob for taking their weapons always differs, but the end result is always the same- the government ends up armed to the teeth, and the people are left with ZERO means of possible revolt. Government shills say "this is how it must be in a civilised society" and "they wouldn't be your masters if they weren't better than you".
The problem with such power games is that they are devoid of any rational intelligence. Those in power become no different from serial killers, concerned only about the 'thrill', without a care for long term consequences. Like the serial killer, the Obama type thinks "everyone dies in the end, so we might as well forget all rules, and simply do whatever we can get away with".
The repulsive psychopaths behind Facebook, Google and Wikipedia do not even have to attempt to hide their true natures from us. A serial killer must work in the shadows, and almost certainly alone. Those that see the whole planet as their likely victims are proud to operate in the brightest daylight. They love the fact that THEY finally figured out ways to make '1984' a reality, and to prove once and for all that the Human Race splits between prey and predators.
What is the "other" category that the US government is using outside of search warrants or subpoenas?
The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead.
Come on, who could forget the twiddler ( http://www.handykey.com/ ). It's a chord keyboard, its a severe carpal tunnel generator and its a foul verb, as in: "Hey, who have you twiddled today" or "Twiddle me when you get home". Nice!
While their compliance rate has indeed gone down, a 70% increase coupled with only 10 pp decrease mean that they actually comply with more requests. In fact, it works out to be a 15% increase in the total amount of requests that were complied with.
As a Russian, I like it.
Google Complies With Government Requests for User Data 88% of the Time
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/google-complies-government-requests-user-data-88-time_697551.html
Thanks to file sharing, I purchase more CDs
Thanks to the RIAA, I buy them used...
Uhm, if the number of requests went up by 70%, and Google now complies with 66% of requests instead of 76%, that means they are now giving away 47.63% more data than in 2009.
Google only wants to advertise the data the governments want to take people's eyes off how much data Google is collecting on people. At least governments are some what accountable to us.
Move along? Nothing to see? I hope you are being sarcastic. If not, you are a fool and part of the problem.
I find it interesting that the request for Canadian data is so low (38 requests, vs. the US at 8,438 requests), and that even with this low request rate, the rate of compliance by Google for Canadian data requests is less than 25%...interesting indeed.
Maybe our government just hasn't heard of teh google yet? :)
"I love animals! Some are cute, others are tasty, what's not to like?" - Betsy Schroeder, Jeopardy contestant
Partially due to population, that should be obvious. Also, Canada is already a socialist nation where the people have a laughable amount of control. I don't remember ever seeing anything other than a small strike in Canada. OWS and Teaparty type movements simply don't exist. What on earth does the Canadian Government have to worry about with Canadian citizens, compared to the US especially. The NWO took over Canada fully about 40 years ago. Long live the Queen eh?
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
Warrants aren't the be all and end all of information requests. For example, in a civil suit you can't get a warrant for information, you file subpoenas for it. Some of the 'others' might just be for research purposes. Or the CIA asking for information.
That Google rejects nearly half of the requests, at least initially, I like because it indicates that Google isn't 'rolling over'. Police officers and other agencies don't actually need a warrant to simply ask - they need one to force.
For example, I could run a store and allow anybody with a badge to view my security camera footage without a warrant if I wanted. But I wouldn't be protecting my customer's privacy very well if I allowed that. I'd be being an obstructionist to the police though if I required a warrant for everything. Personally, if the police can provide sufficient justification to me, a private citizen, then I might let them see the footage even without a warrant - provided that their request is sufficiently narrow(We need to see Tuesday's footage between 1600 and 1615 of your outside lot - we think XYZ may have tried to escape through there during that time).
I don't read AC A human right
Partially due to population, that should be obvious. Also, Canada is already a socialist nation where the people have a laughable amount of control. I don't remember ever seeing anything other than a small strike in Canada. OWS and Teaparty type movements simply don't exist. What on earth does the Canadian Government have to worry about with Canadian citizens, compared to the US especially. The NWO took over Canada fully about 40 years ago. Long live the Queen eh?
Hmmm, you do seem to have some funny and completely inaccurate ideas about Canada.
A socialist nation? Because we have publicly funded healthcare, and don't let people just die in the street no doubt. Oh, and a stable banking system, let's not forget that. Although we did have those pesky OWS demonstrations too, as I recall. In fact, it was Canadians that started them (sad to say). And yes, our Unions are quite active, if maybe not quite as militant, as their counterparts are south of the border. You not hearing about strikes and labour actions speaks more to your listening skills outside your precious borders...
The population difference is only a multiplier of 10: i.e., the US has 10 times the population of Canada. Harder then to explain why there's over 200 times more requests logged from the American government, eh? Seriously, it's time you guys brought your government back in line down there :)
"I love animals! Some are cute, others are tasty, what's not to like?" - Betsy Schroeder, Jeopardy contestant
Please stop it government(s). I promise most people are good and don't need to be bullied and spied on. It's unfair and annoying to a huge degree. In other words, stop STEPPING ON MY HUMAN RIGHTS damn it.
I don't disagree with your statement "Seriously, it's time you guys brought your government back in line down there :)", in fact I quite agree. I was just pointing out some of the obvious reasons for the discrepancies. Canada AFAIK is a Socialist nation, just like the UK is a Socialist nation. It's not just "national health care", there are numerous factors involved. Canada (and the UK), at least to the US has been Socialist since the Monarchies dissolved.
Media coverage for OWS in the US was abysmal for OWS in the US. Could be that same bias that prevents US Citizens from seeing more active social uprisings in Canada. At least, as I mentioned, anything beyond the Unions striking.
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.