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Transparency Report

United States national security requests for user information

In this US national security requests report, we separately report requests from US authorities using national security laws because these laws restrict how much information companies like us are allowed to share, and when we are allowed to share it. In cases of national security, the US government can use the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to request non-content and content information, and use National Security Letters (NSLs) to request limited information about a user’s identity.

Non-content requests under FISA

A FISA request can include non-content metadata, for example, the 'from' and 'to' fields in an email header and the IP addresses associated with a particular account.

Reporting periodNumber of requestsNumber of accounts
Jul 2023 – Dec 20230 – 49931500 – 31999
Jan 2023 – Jun 20230 – 49933000 – 33499
Jul 2022 – Dec 20220 – 49927500 – 27999
Jan 2022 – Jun 20220 – 49935500 – 35999
Jul 2021 – Dec 20210 – 49928500 – 28999
Jan 2021 – Jun 20210 – 49927500 – 27999
Jul 2020 – Dec 20200 – 49922500 – 22999
Jan 2020 – Jun 20200 – 49922000 – 22499
Jul 2019 – Dec 20190 – 49930000 – 30499
Jan 2019 – Jun 20190 – 49928500 – 28999
Jul 2018 – Dec 20180 – 49923000 – 23499
Jan 2018 – Jun 20180 – 49922000 – 22499
Jul 2017 – Dec 20170 – 49916000 – 16499
Jan 2017 – Jun 20170 – 49912000 – 12499
Jul 2016 – Dec 20160 – 4997000 – 7499
Jan 2016 – Jun 20160 – 4992000 – 2499
Jul 2015 – Dec 20150 – 499500 – 999
Jan 2015 – Jun 20150 – 4990 – 499
Jul 2014 – Dec 20140 – 4990 – 499
Jan 2014 – Jun 20140 – 4990 – 499
Jul 2013 – Dec 20130 – 4990 – 499
Jan 2013 – Jun 20130 – 4990 – 499
Jul 2012 – Dec 20120 – 4990 – 499
Jan 2012 – Jun 20120 – 4990 – 499
Jul 2011 – Dec 20110 – 4990 – 499
Jan 2011 – Jun 20110 – 499500 – 999
Jul 2010 – Dec 20100 – 499500 – 999
Jan 2010 – Jun 20100 – 4990 – 499
Jul 2009 – Dec 20090 – 4990 – 499
Jan 2009 – Jun 20090 – 4990 – 499

Content requests under FISA

A FISA request can include a demand for a user’s content, such as Gmail messages, documents, photos and videos.

Reporting periodNumber of requestsNumber of accounts
Jul 2023 – Dec 20230 – 499118000 – 118499
Jan 2023 – Jun 20230 – 499115000 – 115499
Jul 2022 – Dec 20220 – 499106000 – 106499
Jan 2022 – Jun 20220 – 499103000 – 103499
Jul 2021 – Dec 20210 – 49995500 – 95999
Jan 2021 – Jun 20210 – 49989000 – 89499
Jul 2020 – Dec 20200 – 49980000 – 80499
Jan 2020 – Jun 20200 – 49973500 – 73999
Jul 2019 – Dec 20190 – 49974500 – 74999
Jan 2019 – Jun 20190 – 49969500 – 69999
Jul 2018 – Dec 2018500 – 99963000 – 63499
Jan 2018 – Jun 2018500 – 99954500 – 54999
Jul 2017 – Dec 2017500 – 99944000 – 44499
Jan 2017 – Jun 2017500 – 99935000 – 35499
Jul 2016 – Dec 2016500 – 99927500 – 27999
Jan 2016 – Jun 2016500 – 99922500 – 22999
Jul 2015 – Dec 2015500 – 99922500 – 22999
Jan 2015 – Jun 2015500 – 99919000 – 19499
Jul 2014 – Dec 2014500 – 99918500 – 18999
Jan 2014 – Jun 2014500 – 99917000 – 17499
Jul 2013 – Dec 2013500 – 99915500 – 15999
Jan 2013 – Jun 2013500 – 99914000 – 14499
Jul 2012 – Dec 2012500 – 99912500 – 12999
Jan 2012 – Jun 2012500 – 99910500 – 10999
Jul 2011 – Dec 2011500 – 99910000 – 10499
Jan 2011 – Jun 2011500 – 9997000 – 7499
Jul 2010 – Dec 20100 – 4994000 – 4499
Jan 2010 – Jun 20100 – 4993500 – 3999
Jul 2009 – Dec 20090 – 4993500 – 3999
Jan 2009 – Jun 20090 – 4992000 – 2499

Requests made via National Security Letters (NSL)

Requests by reporting period

Using a NSL, the FBI can seek 'the name, address, length of service, and local and long-distance billing records' of a subscriber to a wire or electronic communications service. The FBI can't use NSLs to obtain anything else from Google, such as Gmail content, search queries, YouTube videos or user IP addresses.

Reporting periodNumber of requestsNumber of accounts
Jul 2023 – Dec 2023500 – 9992000 – 2499
Jan 2023 – Jun 2023500 – 9992000 – 2499
Jul 2022 – Dec 2022500 – 9991500 – 1999
Jan 2022 – Jun 2022500 – 9991500 – 1999
Jul 2021 – Dec 202111 – 4991500 – 1999
Jan 2021 – Jun 2021500 – 9992500 – 2999
Jul 2020 – Dec 202015 – 4991500 – 1999
Jan 2020 – Jun 202015 – 4991000 – 1499
Jul 2019 – Dec 2019500 – 9991500 – 1999
Jan 2019 – Jun 2019500 – 9991000 – 1499
Jul 2018 – Dec 201823 – 4991000 – 1499
Jan 2018 – Jun 201811 – 4991000 – 1499
Jul 2017 – Dec 201719 – 4991500 – 1999
Jan 2017 – Jun 201718 – 4991000 – 1499
Jul 2016 – Dec 201612 – 4991000 – 1499
Jan 2016 – Jun 201617 – 499500 – 999
Jul 2015 – Dec 201512 – 499500 – 999
Jan 2015 – Jun 201510 – 499500 – 999
Jul 2014 – Dec 201415 – 499500 – 999
Jan 2014 – Jun 2014500 – 999500 – 999
Jul 2013 – Dec 2013500 – 9991000 – 1499
Jan 2013 – Jun 20137 – 499500 – 999
Jul 2012 – Dec 20129 – 499500 – 999
Jan 2012 – Jun 2012500 – 9991000 – 1499
Jul 2011 – Dec 20114 – 499500 – 999
Jan 2011 – Jun 20113 – 499500 – 999
Jul 2010 – Dec 20101 – 4991000 – 1499
Jan 2010 – Jun 2010500 – 9991500 – 1999
Jul 2009 – Dec 20091 – 499500 – 999
Jan 2009 – Jun 20090 – 499500 – 999

A list of National Security Letters issued to Google

We publish each NSL once we’re free of any non-disclosure obligations imposed by litigation or legislation. We share as much of each letter as possible, taking into account the privacy interests of affected users. We also publish the letters that reflect the lifting of any non-disclosure restrictions.

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How Google handles US national security requests for user information

We apply a consistent policy towards requests for user information regardless of the type of the request. In other words, requests reported in the Global report and here undergo the same scrutiny. We carefully review each request to make sure that it satisfies applicable laws. If a request asks for too much information, we try to narrow it, and in some cases we object to producing any information at all. You can see the full policy at policies.google.com/terms/information-requests

Our FAQs provide more information about FISA and NSLs

Download the data

We share this information to draw attention to the laws and legal processes around the world that affect access to information online.

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Learn about the ways that laws impact government access to your information online.