Requests for personal user data from global governments are on the rise, according to a study by Surfshark. The study, which focused on the period between 2013 to 2021, found that there was a year-over-year increase of 38% in 2020 and 25% in 2021. Meta had the most accounts of interest from authorities, with two out of five accounts hosted by Meta being requested over the study period. Apple had the fewest with just 416,000 requested accounts from global authorities. The US requested more than double the accounts per 100,000 users than all countries in the EU combined. The rate of disclosure of user data by tech companies has also increased by nearly 71%, with Apple leading the pack in disclosing such information. The study suggests that data requests are often related to criminal investigations or civil or administrative cases requiring digital data. The rise in data requests has prompted concerns from civil society organizations about encouraging surveillance techniques.

(By SAVANNAH FORTIS)