Google Transparency Report: Government Surveillance Requests Up 33% in 2012

Don’t worry I’m sure the increase is certainly related to finding Al Qaeda in the U.S., as opposed to targeting domestic civil rights activists.  I wonder how many of these requests were related to Aaron Swartz, the computer genius that federal prosecutors drove to suicide because they were still bitter about the role played in destroying SOPA.  Or are the requests aimed at “far right” extremists, folks that can be identified according to West Point by their defense of “civil activism, individual freedoms and self-government.”

Once again, the EFF deserves our highest praise for bringing this info to us.  From the EFF:

This morning, Google released their semi-annual transparency report, and once again, it revealed a troubling trend: Internet surveillance around the world continues to rise, with the United States leading the way in demands for user data.

Google received over 21,000 requests for data on over 33,000 users in the last six months from governments around the world, a 70% increase since Google started releasing numbers in 2010. The United States accounted for almost 40% the total requests (8,438) and the number of users (14,791). The total numbers in the US for 2012 amounted to a 33% increase from 2011. And while Google only complied with two-thirds of the total requests globally, they complied with 88% of the requests in the United States.

And the most troubling part?

The most troubling aspect of the transparency report shows a vast majority—about two-thirds—of US government requests for user data were by subpoena, which has a much lower threshold than warrants and do not even require a judge’s approval. Only 1896 of the requests also came with a probable cause warrant, and 5784 of them came with no preliminary oversight from a judge at all.

And it’s probable that the actual number of requests from Google is vastly higher, as the number likely does not include any intelligence surveillance requests. National Security Letters, the controversial tool used by the FBI to gain access to personal information without any court authorization whatsoever (and currently being challenged in a federal district court by EFF), are almost certainly not included. Normally, NSLs come with gag orders attached to them so the organizations that receive them cannot even admit they exist. The FBI has issued hundreds of thousands of NSLs in the past decade.

So the question is:  Is it the “terrorists” that hate us for our freedoms or is it our own government?

Full article here.

In Liberty,
Mike

 

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3 thoughts on “Google Transparency Report: Government Surveillance Requests Up 33% in 2012”

  1. That doesn’t surprise me look at the education system in our country today it is become a place to control young minds and brainwash them to act accordingly but as far as education goes its a joke that no one is laughing at all they learn is compliance. And then if you show signs of intelligence and energy then you are a child with ADHD and BiPolar so they put you on meds that takes away any emotions or spark of individualism and make you an emotionally empty shell so they can do what ever they want use us as lab rats, keep us in control and hoping that no one pays any attention while they pass laws to strip us of every single right to live as self reliant building a life of wealth under our own control when instead of living in poverty so we can pay all these big CEOs and politicians their way in life along with every stupid decision they make that cost the country money they say we just have to
    tighten our belts ( we the people or TAX payers) that is are just going to have to pay the debts down like were the ones that screwed it all up in the first place, they want the people to believe that there isn’t any other way to do anything but the way they want it the truth is it wasn’t just destroying SOPA that Aaron Swartz did He showed the people, If they can stop for a moment and clear their heads from all the government BS and take notice that they within a short amount of time have so much more power then they know that’s what scared the government and they already knew that why do you think SOPA was created to keep the people from realizing and acting to stop them from what they will pull later on greed knows no boundaries when it comes to them having total and utterly complete wealth and control and just think of what that entails for a moment you can’t have complete power unless you have the people under you to have that power over. As you can tell I’m not school educated as far as grammar goes but if I can see the writing on the wall imagine all those that have more information about all of this. In the Bible God Says, that the country will be run by children meaning our government, and that children will be making all our decisions. That is however a metaphor as to the mentality of those in office running the country if it were real children I believe they would have more common sense. As we can see I have to say that,God has called this one dead on right regarding our government today and lets face it things are not going to get better unless that is, its going to take a miracle and the gov. Doesn’t do miracles do they.i truly enjoy reading your reports on here I read as much info as I can on as many sites as I am able to find also I study the Bible and have for years in the minor prophets my Pastor always says that they are like reading tomorrow’s newspaper today, and since I’ve been studying with him for a long time I have to say its true even I have seen things come to pass in the time I’ve been studying all I can say is I’m glad I’m not them. Thank you, Sandra

    Reply
  2. “So the question is: Is it the “terrorists” that hate us for our freedoms or is it our own government?”

    Exactly.

    When GWB gave this explanation for 9/11, that the muslim terrorists attacked us because ‘they hate our freedom’, it was absurd on the face of it. People aren’t motivated to suicide by hatred for freedom.

    Now I wonder: could it be a twisted truth that we were indeed attacked by those who hate our freedoms, and that those who are taking away our freedom were responsible?

    Reply

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