Government requests for user data from Big Tech increased by 25%: data

How Big Tech companies dainty idiosyncratic information has been arguable for truthful long. Meta, Apple, Google and Microsoft are often accused of collecting and selling the idiosyncratic data of their users. Though, wherever precisely this information goes and however overmuch of it is fixed implicit to companies and governments tin inactive beryllium unclear.

However, a caller study from Surfshark reveals requests for specified idiosyncratic idiosyncratic information from planetary governments are connected the rise. The survey focused connected the clip play from 2013 to 2021, with 2020 having the astir salient year-over-year summation of 38%, followed by a 25% summation successful 2021.

Meta, Microsoft, Apple and Google were the 4 Big Tech firms taken into relationship during the survey, with Meta having the astir accounts of involvement from authorities. Two retired of 5 accounts hosted by Meta were requested (6.6M) implicit the survey period. 

Total fig of accounts requested (2013-2021). Source: Surfshark

Apple, connected the different hand, had the fewest with conscionable 416K requested accounts from planetary authorities. 

The survey shows that 60% of requests came from authorities successful the United States and Europe. However, the U.S. requested much than treble the accounts per 100,000 users than each countries successful the EU combined.

Following the U.S. successful the apical spots is Germany, Singapore, the United Kingdom and France.

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According to the report, information requests are often related to transgression investigations, on with civilian oregon administrative cases successful which integer information is necessary.

Gabriele Kaveckyte, a subordinate of the privateness counsel astatine Surfshark, said on with information requests authorities are besides looking into ways to show and tackle transgression via online services.

“On 1 hand, introducing specified caller measures could assistance lick superior transgression cases, but civilian nine organizations expressed their concerns of encouraging surveillance techniques…”

On the portion of the tech companies the complaint of disclosure of idiosyncratic information has accrued by astir 71%. Apple leads the battalion erstwhile it comes to disclosing specified accusation with a disclosure complaint of 86% successful 2021, and an mean disclosure complaint of 82% crossed the survey clip period. 

Percentage of partially oregon afloat disclosed idiosyncratic information requests (yearly average). Source: Surfshark

The decentralization and Web3 tools person often been touted arsenic solutions to overcoming the Big Tech monopoly connected idiosyncratic information. Some person adjacent gone truthful acold arsenic to accidental Web2 platforms specified arsenic Facebook and Twitter volition beryllium “obsolete” acknowledgment to blockchain. 

In February, the decentralized mentation of Twitter, called Damus, officially launched successful app stores successful an effort to beryllium a “social web you control.”

Even Big Tech companies themselves person begun to interruption into the Web3 space, with Meta unsuccessfully introducing NFTs connected Instagram and Facebook.

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