Google Details How It Responds To Government Requests For User & Search Data

google-legal-law-featuredGoogle has written a blog post documenting their legal process and approach to dealing with government requests for user and search data, highlighting a new section now available in Google that also answers more of these questions.

Governments routinely ask search engines like Google for access to user data for various reasons. From search logs, to email accounts, to browser history, to purchase history. Google says they take each request incredibly seriously.

They post transparency reports for all user data requests issued by governments around the world. In the U.S. they even document if the requests are subpoenas, court orders and/or warrants.

Today, on Data Privacy Day, Google posted a new section on the Transparency Report portal for the legal process Google takes for each user data request they receive by governments. Google explains questions such as:

  • Why might a government agency request my data?
  • What does Google do when it receives a legal request for user data?
  • How many of these requests does Google receive and comply with?
  • Why does Google publish the Transparency Report?
  • Has Google successfully narrowed requests before?
  • In what situations wouldn’t you tell me about a request for my information?
  • I received an email from Google saying that someone has requested information related to my account. What does this mean?
  • What can I do about a request like this?

These are some of the more common questions Google is asked from users regarding this topic.

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Business Issues | Google: Legal | Top News


About The Author: is Search Engine Land's News Editor and owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry's personal blog is named Cartoon Barry and he can be followed on Twitter here. For more background information on Barry, see his full bio over here.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Anna-Marie-Lloyd/100000641621588 Anna Marie Lloyd

    Hmmm for for thought some might say this is against there Constitution , Freedom of speech ? YOU would think that People are Matured enough look at Language of expression Ones emotions , says things that are well considered foul or disrespectful to to others why would you allow that to have power over you . Just bless them or be quite is it really worth your energy or thought ?

  • daveintheuk

    This is all very admirable, but I wish Google was more up front about what data they collect about their users and how THEY use it.

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