Google Data Removal Requests Beginning To Decline

Google has updated its Transparency Report for the Jun. 2013 to Dec. 2013 period, and has also simplified the user interface for the website, offering more information on data removal requests from governments.

The numbers for the Jun. 2013 to Dec. 2013 period are better than the Dec. 2012 to Jun. 2013 period, dropping from 3,846 to 3,105 data removal requests. The number of pages removed dropped from 24,737 to 14,637, a huge decrease for Google.

The major reason for the drop in data requests comes from the Turkish government not being as active in the second half of 2013, adding over 800 data requests on the first half of 2013.

Google collects data requests on Blogger, YouTube and Search. Of all the Google services, Blogger appears to be the most controversial, with  1,068 incidents of governments or law enforcement agencies requesting information in the latter half of 2014

The amount of data removal requests from the past five years

Below the chart, Google offers vague information on how it handles some cases from countries. Users will be able to view a whole range of cases from different countries, but does not offer a lot of information on each individual case.

Google has also added information on how it handles requests, why governments send request and the Google services that get most requests for government censorship.

Making data requests public is still illegal in the U.S. and Europe, but Google, Twitter and other internet companies are fighting to make data requests from governments and authorities public knowledge.

Facebook also offers a transparency report, showing how many data requests were sent from governments.