Government requests report: 5 African governments request info from Facebook

Tendai Mupaso Avatar

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Facebook has published it’s second “Government Requests Report” and there is little activity from African governments requesting information from Facebook. Facebook’s Government Requests Reports are part of Facebook’s efforts “to share more information about the requests we have received from governments around the world”.

According to the report (assuming that if not published, no request was made), only five African governments namely, South Africa, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Botswana and Uganda requested information or Data from Facebook IN 2013. These requests include information on personal accounts and restriction on certain content.

In the First Half of 2013, the mentioned Africa countries made a combined 30 requests for information with South Africa accounting for almost half of those requests (14%). Facebook did not release any information to African countries in the first half of 2013.

In the second half of 2013, African governments all together made 12 requests for information with Facebook releasing information once to the Ivory Coast. This time around, Egypt made 6 requests.

Facebook says it only releases information that meets the following criteria:

We respond to valid requests relating to criminal cases. Each and every request we receive is checked for legal sufficiency and we reject or require greater specificity on requests that are overly broad or vague.

Interestingly, the report suggests that the Zimbabwean government did not make a single request for information from Facebook. You’d think they would have asked for information possibly pertaining to Baba Jukwa opting to instead offer a rumored $300,000 bounty to the Chinese for the capture of the faceless Facebook character.

4 comments

  1. zimagent

    You think the Zim govt would ask facebook directly for user info and that facebook would provide info? think again chum, zim agents in SA or Uganda would ask facebook for that sort of info and then pass it on

    1. Scepticasaurus

      You are giving our government way too much credit chum, I bet they simply don’t realise you can do that. You see they no longer get memos from Facebook

  2. Pindile Mhandu

    The govt not requesting for Baba Jukwa’s ID might mean they knew who he was so they didnt have to ask Zuck.

  3. Drogo

    I concur they should have just enquire about the faceless Facebook user (Baba Jukwa) instead of hiring JOC members or Palestinian IT gurus

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