Facebook has released a report that shows 38,000 data requests from governments worldwide during the first half of 2013.
The US made most of the requests, asking for information on 20,000 to 21,000 users, according to the social network’s latest Global Government Requests Report.
Facebook general counsel Colin Stretch said that the company hoped to contribute to the ongoing debate about the proper standards for government requests for user information.
"When we are required to comply with a particular request, we frequently share only basic user information, such as name," Stretch said.
"We strongly encourage all governments to provide greater transparency about their efforts aimed at keeping the public safe, and we will continue to be aggressive advocates for greater disclosure.
"We hope this report will be useful to our users in the ongoing debate about the proper standards for government requests for user information in official investigations."
The latest report comes after revelations about Facebook’s collaboration with the National Security Agency (NSA) to help gather data on customers secretly.
The report, which is expected to be released every six months, is Facebook’s first attempt to disclose data relating to government requests, after Microsoft and Google.
