Facebook received 35,000 government requests for info

Governments around the world sent Facebook 35,051 requests for user information in the second half of 2014, according to the company’s transparency report. 

The report published Monday revealed that the United States alone sent 14,274 requests for user information, a slight decrease from the first half of that year. It complied, at least in part, with 79 percent of those U.S. requests. 

{mosads}Those numbers are relatively unchanged from the first half of 2014. 

The most commonly used government request was a search warrant, followed by a subpoena.

Technology companies are not allowed to publish the exact amount of national security requests for data, which include National Security Letters and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act requests. But Facebook noted that it has received between zero and 999 such requests from the United States. 

The transparency report also revealed Facebook restricted 11 percent more content at the request of governments, compared to the first half of 2014. It restricted access to 9,707 pieces of content, primarily in India and Turkey. 

The company only blocks content that is “illegal under local law.” Those censorship requests are highest in India, Pakistan and Turkey, where local laws prohibit criticism of a religion or the state. There were none from the United States.