The U.S. government ordered Google to turn over user data slightly more times in the second half of 2012 than the first half of the year, although the number of total user accounts affected was down for the first time since Google began releasing those numbers in 2010.

The fresh data from Google, released this morning, shows the U.S. government made 8,438 requests — the bulk of them (70%) by subpoena, and  22% via search warrant. This was the first time Google broke out the data by type of request.  (UPDATE 1/28: Google explains how it handles requests for data).

Subpoenas involve “requests for user-identifying information, issued under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (“ECPA”), and are the easiest to get because they typically don’t involve judges,” Google said in a blog post about its semi-annual transparency report.  Search warrants, Google said, “ generally speaking, [are] orders issued by judges under ECPA, based on a demonstration of “probable cause” to believe that certain information related to a crime is presently in the place to be searched.” 

There were 758 “other” types of requests that included “court orders issued under ECPA by a judge and other court-issued legal process.” Those had a slightly higher rate of data being actually released — 90% vs. 88% for the others. 

Overall, the percentage of requests that actually led to data being released continued a slow decline, from a high of 94% in 2010 to 88% in the latest period. 

Once again, the U.S. led all countries globally in its requests (three times more than No.2 India), the number of accounts affected and the percentage of cases in which data was released. France, Germany and the United Kingdom finished up the Top 5. 

Transparency Report | Download the data | HuffPost Live discussion about the data.

                       

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