India ranks third in snooping through Google

BANGALORE, INDIA: Internet search giant Google is not just a favourite place to search information, but it is also used by the governments to snoop on people, as is revealed by the Transparency Report by the company, which ranked India in the third position in seeking user details from it.

In 2010 alone, Indian government made more than 3,000 requests seeking user details from Google, while it also sought removal of various content, including those defamatory in nature, in about 100 cases during the year, said a PTI report.

However, not all requests are entertained by Google, like it rejected last year requests from India for removal of a blog and some videos "that were critical of Chief Ministers and senior officials of different states", it added.

US and Brazil top the list in terms of user detail requests from Google. Google said it received 1,699 requests for user details from Indian government and law enforcement agencies during July-December 2010. Prior to this, Google had received 1,430 such requests from India in first six months of 2010.

In the report, Google also revealed that it took down more than 93,000 ads linking to scam sites from July to December last year, in response to requests from U.K. consumer protection authorities.

Google started releasing data requests from governments last year as part of a move to ensure greater transparency. It releases the information every six months.