Discussion on:

Google reports .govs requesting lots of user information

i refuse to use Google under any circumstance. But I suppose that the search engines i do use (infrequentl) would be subjected to this type government snooping as well. But I realy do have to ask this question: in times when corrupt and crooked politicians consider themselves better than the rest of us, WHAT ELSE IS NEW????

seems to me that all the requests are for the removal of posts or articles on their sites, not about the individuals who are making them. Is this true?

If this is so, or all but so, then it means this isn't about Big Brother watching what we're doing, but looking at what is available. With the bulk of the requests coming from court orders, which will often be coming from individuals and not government bodies, per se. Protection of name and legal rights being the basis for over 80% of the requests, and about 60% being court ordered, and probably from companies or people and not gov't agencies - if I'm reading the graph right.

Also, my own experience is this is not of much concern re gov't spying on us. I write stories and in order to make them seem more realistic I research them as best as I can. I know from contacts I have in my local intelligence community that the past research for some of those stories have triggered checks by the US intelligence community due to my visits to certain web sites and particular parts of the web sites. And none of that would have resulted from Google searches or sites. Which just shows the gov't does have better ways to check up on what people do in some parts of the Internet.

This may sound rather specious, but I fear that Orwell had a certain amount of vision concerning governmental reach and overreach. I have nothing to hide from the government...no seditious activities or illegal eterprises and I must admit that a little action about all the hate expressed in various venues is welcome....but where will it stop? We either live in a free and open society, or we do not. Controls by those with power can and do corrupt those who wield such power is way above my pay grade, but I cannot help but wonder what will happen next.

This is a test of Spy vs Spy Inc. From the year 1995 to today it has been common knowledge that Google was a national hero in data collection. Then Facebook followed suit because of it being one of if not the biggest social network to date. Why is it that just yesterday Facebook announces the introduction of yet another Security and privacy group with new and improved gizmos to protect your online data ? Do they really thing we are stupid ? Is it the pomp of being security agents/techs that give them the lightheaded feeling of being all powerful ? What may happen very soon is the destruction of all accounts and people going back to bogus accounts and bogus machines like it was in the 80s. Then what ? will that put privacy out to pasture ? I find this spy vs spy gotta know how much time people spend online stuff crass. What about those who are terminally ill or home alone ? Is the Government going to send in the swat team to unplug them. Now I understand fully what Anonymous and other groups are doing. How do you like that mister mustache ? Now watch my post get the red light And see if they don't watch us here to guys.

It is inevitable that the internet as a whole will fall into place with standard social norms that have evolved over a long period of time. The ultimate aim is the melding of social norms that will be an extension of the globalisation push. Many people still think they are invisible on the internet and rant on inappropriately. Down at the local these people get slapped down quickly but on social media they have no such controls to check them. The main problem being many people seems to be sponges and take to the rants without question which fuels the fires that do untold damage to honest people and governments etc.
As for user data requests what's new. That has been a corner stone of govt services for yonks, just a different format now.

Having nothing better to do at lunch time, I keyed in the best data I could find for the population of these countries. The "top" country for User Data Requests is Hong Kong, followed by the USA, France, Australia, and the UK. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that the country with the fewest user requests is Russia.