Google refuses to hand over users’ data to local authorities

Google received a total of eight requests from Macau authorities between July last year and June 2014 to hand over user data relating to a total of 12 particular users or accounts. In its Transparency Report, Google revealed that it did not comply with any of the Macau authorities’ requests to access user data on different Google services, such as Gmail or YouTube, since the requests did not meet certain legal requirements.
The technology and communication company regularly receives requests from governments, courts or law enforcement agencies to hand over user data.
The report lists the number of requests received from each country in the world, the percentage of requests that Google complied with, as well as the number of users or accounts specified in each government request.
“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 or try to narrow the request in some cases,” Google says in the report.
If Google didn’t comply with the Macau government’s latest requests, it is a different scenario in the neighboring SAR. Hong Kong authorities issued 359 requests between January and June this year, with Google complying with 48 percent of them. The requests were related to 371 users or accounts.
The Chinese government, on the other hand, issued two requests between January and June this year. Google complied with one of the requests, which related to four users or accounts.
The report highlights that government agencies, courts and parties in civil litigation may ask technology and communication companies for information about a person who has used the companies’ services. A wide range of laws allow governments across the globe to investigate legal violations and criminal activity that might necessitate a request for a communication company’s data on particular users.
Reasons for governments requesting user data from Google accounts range from defamation processes through to privacy and security matters, adult content, electoral law, trademarks and even government criticism.
“When we receive such a request, our team reviews the request to make sure it satisfies legal requirements and Google’s policies,” the company states. For Google to comply, a government’s request should be made in writing, signed by an authorized official of the requesting agency, and issued under an appropriate law.
“If we believe a request is overly broad, we’ll seek to narrow it. We notify users about legal demands when appropriate, unless prohibited by law or court order,” they added.
Google says that it published the Transparency Report to “shine a light” on how government requests and actions might affect users and the free flow of information online.  CP