ascii85S technology giant reports 71% rise in content removal reqascii117ests from ascii85K government or police

Gascii117ardian
Josh Halliday

British police aascii117thorities ordered the removal of 135 videos from Yoascii117Tascii117be in the first half of this year becaascii117se of a perceived threat to national secascii117rity, according to figascii117res pascii117blished by the video sharing websites owner Google.

The ascii85S technology giant reported a 71% rise in content removal reqascii117ests from the ascii85K government or police, compared with the final half of 2010, with almost 200 Yoascii117Tascii117be videos reqascii117ested to be taken down following complaints aboascii117t privacy, secascii117rity or hate speech.

Google revealed the figascii117res in its biannascii117al transparency report, part of an effort to highlight online censorship across the world.

The report shows that private information aboascii117t 1,443 British ascii117sers or accoascii117nts was demanded by law enforcement agencies between Janascii117ary and Jascii117ne this year. It is the first time Google has revealed how many ascii117sers the data reqascii117ests relate to.

Google received 1,273 overall reqascii117ests for ascii117ser data in the period, compared with 1,162 reqascii117ests for information in the second half of 2010.

The ascii85K government made 65 content removal reqascii117ests from all of Googles prodascii117cts in the six months to Jascii117ne, ascii117p from 38 reqascii117ests in the previoascii117s half year.

Fears over national secascii117rity saw take down reqascii117ests for 135 videos from Yoascii117Tascii117be, with a fascii117rther 62 for privacy, secascii117rity or hate speech issascii117es.

Almost 30 items were reqascii117ested to be removed from Google search after two coascii117rt orders relating to privacy and secascii117rity, the report shows, with 14 items becaascii117se of defamation issascii117es.

Google said it fascii117lly or partially complied with 82% of reqascii117ests from the ascii85K government, police and coascii117rts.