Facebook: government requests for data increase by 21%

Facebook has a bi-annual report that details all of the data requests the social networking company receives from the government, with their latest Transparency Report for the first half of 2017 being released.

We have information like account data, content restrictions and internet disruptions, as well as reports from rights holders related to copyright, trademark, and IP counterfeiting. The social networking giant said that government requests for users' data increased by 21% worldwide in the first half of 2017, compared to the first half of 2016.

Over half of those requests, some 57% of them included a non-disclosure order that stops Facebook from notifying the account holder of the request of data from the government. This number is up a whopping 50% from last year, with Facebook adding that there has been a massive 304% increase in the number of content restrictions around violating local law.

The huge increase in requests was largely made up from law enforcement in Mexico, with Facebook saying they restricted a video of a January school shooting in Monterrey.

Facebook lawyer Chris Sonderby explains: "We'll also keep working with partners in industry and civil society to encourage governments around the world to reform surveillance in a way that protects their citizens' safety and security while respecting their rights and freedoms".