Facebook received around 38,000 requests for user information by
governments around the world in the first six months of 2013.
Facebook publishes first government requests report. (Reuters)
For the first time, the billion-member social network has
published its Global Government Requests Report, revealing that
the British government made 1,975 requests for information
relating to 2,337 users in the six months to 30 June.  However,
this pales in comparison to the US government, which made
between 11,000 and 12,000 requests in the six-month period,
relating to between 20,000 and 21,000 user accounts.  Facebook
handed over information to the British government in 68% of
cases, and surrendered user data to 79% of US requests.
Referring to claims that Facebook and other tech companies give
the NSA and Britain's GCHQ direct access to user data, Facebook
General Counsel Colin Stretch wrote: "As we have made clear in
recent weeks, we have stringent processes in place to handle all
government data requests.   Expla