Transparency Report: Requests for user information up 120 percent over four years

While we’ve always known how important transparency is when it comes to government requests, the events of the past year have underscored just how urgent the issue is. From being the first company to disclose information about National Security Letters to fighting for the ability to publish more about FISA requests, we’ve continually advocated for your right to know.



Today, we’re updating our Transparency Report for the ninth time. This updated Report details the number of government requests we received for user information in criminal investigations during the second half of 2013. Government requests for user information in criminal cases have increased by about 120 percent since we first began publishing these numbers in 2009. Though our number of users has grown throughout the time period, we’re also seeing more and more governments start to exercise their authority to make requests.



We consistently push back against overly broad requests for your personal information, but it’s also important for laws to explicitly protect you from government overreach. That’s why we’re working alongside eight other companies to push for surveillance reform, including more transparency. We’ve all been sharing best practices about how to report the requests we receive, and as a result our Transparency Report now includes governments that made less than 30 requests during a six-month reporting period, in addition to those that made 30+ requests.



Also, people have been asking about how we respond to search warrants in the U.S., so we’ve created an entertaining video to explain in plain language how this process works. We apply the same rigorous standards presented in this video to every request we receive, regardless of type.



You deserve to know when and how governments request user information online, and we’ll keep fighting to make sure that’s the case.







via The Official Google Blog http://ift.tt/1g43Cpi

Expo Notes: Western Digital reveals new Thunderbolt-powered My Passport Pro

Now you can buy a computer-powered rifle on the Internet with Bitcoins

Texas-based TrackingPoint is now accepting Bitcoin for weapons purchases. It's not the first time you could buy guns with Bitcoin, but it might be the first time you could do it legally.



via PCWorld http://ift.tt/1o4kru2

Watch out for photos containing malware

Freemake Video Converter 4.1.3.15

Freemake offers free program for video converting - developed as alternative to popular paid software. “Free, easy and of high quality” are the fundamental principles of Freemake.





via FileHippo.com http://ift.tt/1a5yPYF [[ We are also giving web service. Email:wasim.akh2@gmail.com]]

Python 3.4.0

Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers strong support for integration with other languages and tools, comes with extensive standard libraries, and can be learned in a few days. Many Python programmers report substantial productivity gains and feel the language enco...





via FileHippo.com http://ift.tt/18qxkFV [[ We are also giving web service. Email:wasim.akh2@gmail.com]]

AIMP 3.55.1345

AIMP is a free audio player with support for large number of formats and playlists. It works with multiple playlists immediately, allows creation of bookmarks and also has a playback queue.





via FileHippo.com http://ift.tt/1ceZbMi [[ We are also giving web service. Email:wasim.akh2@gmail.com]]

Windows 10 21H2 and 22H2 Known Issues and Workarounds – April 30, 2024

UPDATE: One existing known issue “The January 2024 Windows RE update might fail to install” was resolved and a new issue “VPN connections mi...