The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

Google

Google reports 'worrying' 68% increase in requests from governments to remove content from services

By Angela Haggerty, Reporter

December 19, 2013 | 3 min read

Google has reported a 68 per cent increase in the number of government requests to remove content from Google services.

Figures: Google described removal request trend as 'worrying'

The figures account for the first six months of 2013 and are contrasted against the last six months of 2012. In total for the first half of this year, Google received 3,846 requests from governments around the global to remove 24,737 pieces of content.

In the second half of 2012, Google received 2,285 requests for the removal of information, which was a 26 increase on the first half of the year.

Among this year’s requests, legal director Susan Infantino said in a statement, was a sharp increase from Turkey at 1,673 requests, and Russia at 257 requests, which is more than double the number the Russian government requested throughout the whole of 2012.

In the UK, Google complied with a request from a law firm representing an MP to remove a preview from Google Books that allegedly defamed the MP by suggesting he was engaged in illegal activity, but did not accept a request from a local government council to remove a blog post that allegedly defamed the council.

“Over the past four years, one worrying trend has remained consistent: governments continue to ask us to remove political content,” said Infantino.

“Judges have asked us to remove information that’s critical of them, police departments want us to take down videos or blogs that shine a light on their conduct, and local institutions like town councils don’t want people to be able to find information about their decision-making processes.

“These officials often cite defamation, privacy and even copyright laws in attempts to remove political speech from our services.”

Requests from the US increased by 70 per cent compared to the previous reporting period, and these included a request from a local law enforcement official to remove a search result linking to a news article about his record as an officer, which Google refused.

Request from France also sharply increased on the previous reporting period, increasing by 81 per cent, although the number of requests were still significantly lower than countries such as Turkey and Russia.

Google

More from Google

View all

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +