Google says government requests 'up 120%' in four years

Technology firms like Google are pushing to be allowed to release more data on government requests

Google has said the number of requests it has had from governments to share information about its users has gone up by 120% in the past four years.

The rise was blamed on an increase in users, but the company also said more governments were starting to "exercise their authority to make requests".

In releasing the data the search giant renewed its calls for government surveillance reform.

Last year, 53,356 requests for data were made globally, Google said.

The majority of requests come from the US - but the figures do not include bulk surveillance carried out by the country's National Security Agency (NSA).

Google has been publishing the twice-yearly Transparency Report since 2009.

Transparency push

Not all requests Google receives are successful. In the period of July to December 2013, 69% of the UK government's 1,397 requests resulted in user information being passed over.

In the US, 83% of 10,574 requests were granted.

"We consistently push back against overly broad requests for your personal information," wrote Richard Salgado, Google's legal director.

"But it's also important for laws to explicitly protect you from government overreach.