Twitter published its first transparency report.

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After maintaining transparency and practicing accountability has been evolving as a responsibility that websites, especially social networks. With regular transparency reports, Google has been making attempts to highlight the efforts for maintaining transparency on its widely-used service. Taking a leaf out of Google's face, Twitter yesterday posted its first ever transparency report. In an official blog, Jeremy Kessel, A Manager of Legal Policy for Twitter, writes, "Wednesday marks Independence Day here in the United States. Beyond the fireworks and barbecue, July 4th serves as an important reminder of the need to hold governments accountable, especially on behalf of those who may not have a chance to do so themselves." 

By way of their transparency report, the popular micro blogging website aims to throw light on the following points:-

• Government requests received for user information.
• Government requests received to withhold content.
• DMCA takedown notices received from copyright holders.

As per report conclusive that Twitter has removed 782 tweets in January - a number that dropped to 649 in February then went to 1,139 in March. Twitter deleted 695 tweets last month. In an interesting revelation made in the post Kessel told that they received more government requests in the first half of 2012 than they did through 2011. The post further revealed that Twitter would be publishing an updated version of this report twice a year.

Also specified in the report is whether or not Twitter takes action on these requests. Citing several instances, the post states that they have been maintaining a "long-standing policy to proactively notify users of requests for their account information unless we’re prohibited by law." Twitter believes that these policies not only do their bit in informing people and creating awareness about things, but manage to keep everyone, including Twitter, more accountable. This report, Twitter believes "helps further these ambitions."

Posted in: Google, News, Twitter