As part of its Transparency Report, Google has released vague data on official requests for data from the FBI under the Patriot Act.
The figures cover the so-called National Security Letters (NSLs) implemented under the controversial act, which have been criticised by civil liberties groups.
However, due to security reasons, the company was only allowed to publish broad number ranges rather than specific figures. The report showed it received between zero and 999 requests affecting between 1,000 and 1,999 accounts.
In 2010, however, the range was 2,000 to 2,999 accounts.
“You’ll notice that we’re reporting numerical ranges rather than exact numbers. This is to address concerns raised by the FBI, Justice Department and other agencies that releasing exact numbers might reveal information about investigations,” Google law enforcement director Richard Salgado said in a blog post.
“We’re thankful to U.S. government officials for working with us to provide greater insight into the use of NSLs.”
It is believed to be the first time a private company has published data about the NSLs.
