Gov't requests Facebook user data

BRIDGETOWN (CMC):Barbados is the only Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country to have made a request of the social-networking website, Facebook, for information regarding how its nationals use the facility.

Facebook has for the first time published data on how often governments around the world request data on its users, and according to the social network, Barbados made three requests on three individual users in the last six months.

Facebook does not specify the nature or type of request, but said it set "a very high legal bar with each individual request in order to receive any information about any of our users".

conditions for requests

There has been no official comment from Bridgetown but Facebook has outlined the conditions under which requests are accepted from governments.

"As we have made clear in recent weeks, we have stringent processes in place to handle all government data requests. We believe this process protects the data of the people who use our service, and requires governments to meet a very high legal bar with each individual request in order to receive any information about any of our users.

It said that it hopes the report published at www.facebook.com/safety/groups/law/guidelines/ will be "useful to our users in the ongoing debate about the proper standards for government requests for user information in official investigations.

"And while we view this compilation as an important first report, it will not be our last. In coming reports, we hope to be able to provide even more information about the requests we receive from law enforcement authorities," Facebook added.