Between January and June 2011, Google received 1739 requests for disclosure of user data from the Indian government, and it complied with as much as 70% of the requests, the company has revealed as a part of its Global Transparency report. User information requests Google received requests for information for 2,439 users/accounts. The company has clarified that this might include multiple requests that ask for data for the same entity or a single request that specifies one or more entities.The company hasn’t revealed the nature of these requests or the exact nature of the data it shared, but the increase (over this six month timeframe) is a jump over the 1699 requests between July and December 2010 and 1430 requests between Jan and June 2010. 70% compliance is alarmingly high, and remember that a Google spokesperson had informed MediaNama, that “As per the local criminal laws in India, Google does not inform users of their data being shared with the authorities. As it can be seen as aiding in the destruction of evidence.” In our opinion, ethically, Google should inform users whose data is shared with the government agencies. On its website, Google says that the number of requests for criminal investigations increased year on year, but it clarifies that it ” didn’t necessarily include requests that were addressed to the wrong Google company. We review each request to make sure that it complies with both the spirit and the letter of the law, and we may refuse to produce information…
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