Google's latest transparency report reveals the futility of transparency reports -- and increased data requests

As has become the norm for big tech companies these days, Google has just published its latest transparency report. The report reveals -- in very, very broad strokes -- the number of requests for user data the company has received from the US government.

In a groundbreaking revelation (and -- please -- note the sarcasm) the lifting of a gag restriction by the FBI means Google is now able to report about the number of National Security Letters it received in Q2 2015. Sort of. "We have updated the range of NSLs received in that period [...] from 0-499 to 1-499." Or, to paraphrase: "there definitely weren't none".

The rest of the report makes for typically dull reading. Google says that in the first half of 2016 it received 44,943 government requests for information relating to 76,713 accounts. In nearly two thirds of cases -- 65 percent to be precise -- Google provided information when asked, a figure that is unchanged from the previous six month period.

There was an increase in the number of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) requests -- a jump from the 16,000-16,499 bracket to 21,000-21,499. But while Google is able to share very little detail about what the government wants to know, the company is seeking reform. Richard Salgado, director of Law Enforcement and Information Security, says:

In recent years, the United States has implemented or enacted meaningful surveillance reforms.  And the U.S. Congress is beginning the process of assessing potential reforms to Section 702 of FISA, which authorizes surveillance of non-U.S. persons outside of the United States.   We look forward to working together with others in our industry on continuing surveillance reform in the U.S. and around the world.

If you want to check out the latest Transparency Report, hit the link to start crunching the numbers.

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