Facebook reports jump in data requests in first half 2015

Facebook Inc said requests for account data from governments globally jumped 18 percent in the first half of 2015.

Facebook Inc said requests for account data from governments globally jumped 18 percent in the first half of 2015.

Government requests for account data increased to 41,214, with a bulk of those requests coming from U.S law enforcement agencies.

Content restricted for violating local law more than doubled to 20,568 pieces during the same period, compared with the second half of 2014, the company said in a blog post on Wednesday. (http://bit.ly/1LayIL2)

The technology industry has pushed for greater transparency on government data requests, seeking to shake off concerns about their involvement in vast, surreptitious surveillance programs revealed by former spy agency contractor Edward Snowden.

Facebook, Microsoft Corp , Yahoo Inc and Alphabet Inc , formerly Google, last year began publishing details about the number of government requests for data they receive.