Chart: How Often Users’ Data is Handed Over To The Government

This is a chart showing how often AT&T, Sprint and Verizon hand over users’ data to the government in 2011. The New York Times counted a total of 1.3 million requests for users information last year.

Breakdown by the top 4 US Carriers.

Sprint: received 500,000 requests for its data from law enforcement in the last year, though it doesn’t reveal, and says it doesn’t have the resources to track, how many it responded to or rejected. The company has 221 employees dedicated to processing and responding to government requests for its data.

Verizon: received 260,000 requests for its users data in 2011, including wiretaps, calling records, text message information, and location information.

AT&T: received 131,400 subpoenas in criminal cases for its information in 2011, as well as 49,700 warrants or orders that it hand over data. It rejected 965 of them. The company says it employees more than 100 staffers full-time to respond to law enforcement demands.

T-Mobile: told Congressman Markey it “does not disclose” the number of law enforcement requests it receives or complies with.

Source: via Forbes