Snooping.

So whatever the coalition has said about letting us go about our business is just talk.

A total of 1,343 requests for information on users of Google services including YouTube and email were made from January to June this year – the highest in Europe and the fourth highest in the world.

I’d really like to know what they’re looking for?

Attempts to acquire user data are mainly linked to criminal investigations submitted by police or other agencies. The figures do not cover all government requests and Google said it may add more categories as its tracking methods improve. Google said that ‘data requests’ cover a vast number of circumstances.

Who are those other agencies that are referred to? Is it your local council, the taxman, or one of the myriad of quangos?

And

Authorities also made 48 separate requests to the search giant to remove content in the first six months of 2010.

Did they succeed, and if so, what was the content? Someone slagging off some faceless bureaucrat (Rachael Noxon of Medway Breathes springs to mind), or just one of the constantly offended brigade?