Courts and government agencies around the world regularly require that we remove content and information from various Google services like Google Search and YouTube.

We review these demands carefully to determine if the content that is the subject of the request violates a specific local legal requirement. Because we value access to information, we work to minimize over-reaching removals whenever possible by seeking to narrow the scope of government demands and ensure that they are authorized by relevant laws.

For over a decade, we’ve also published a transparency report on Government Requests for Content Removal. This report includes only demands made by governments and courts. We report separately on requests by private actors under content-removal systems established by various governments such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in the United States or the Right to be Forgotten included in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU.

Over the years, as use of our services has grown, our transparency report shows a rise in the number of government demands for content removal – as to both the volume of requests that we receive and the number of individual items of content we are asked to remove. Today’s transparency report, covering January to June 2021, represents the highest volumes we’ve seen on both measures to date.

January - June 2021 Data

Top countries by volume of requests:

1. Russia
2. India
3. South Korea
4. Turkey
5. Pakistan
6. Brazil
7. United States
8. Australia
9. Vietnam
10. Indonesia

Top countries by volume of items:

1. Indonesia
2. Russia
3. Kazakhstan
4. Pakistan
5. South Korea
6. India
7. Vietnam
8. United States
9. Turkey
10. Brazil

See the full report here.

As research by organizations like Freedom House makes clear, all online platforms are seeing a similar trend.

We’re also seeing a significant increase in the number of laws that require information to be removed from online services. These laws vary by country and region, and require the removal of content on a very wide range of issues – from hate speech to adult content and obscenity, to medical misinformation, to privacy and intellectual property violations.

Many of these laws seek to protect people online and align with Google's own platform policies and community guidelines that help ensure people have a good experience while they are using our services. But laws in some countries can also go significantly beyond those policies, affecting access to information on a range of topics.

Coupled with this, we’ve also seen new laws that impose individual liability on local employees for actions taken by a company offering online services. These types of laws have drawn concern from organizations like the Global Network Initiative because individuals can be pressured, prosecuted, and held personally liable, even when they are not responsible for the content decisions of the company they work for.

While content removal and local representative laws are often associated with repressive regimes, they are increasingly not limited to such nations. Findings from entities like the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), our own transparency report data, and any survey of international laws introduced over the past few years all point to the fact that we are likely to continue to see a rise in these types of laws across more countries around the world.

This week, European and US leaders will convene the first meetings of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) with the goal of renewing a transatlantic dialogue on critical global challenges and strengthening technological cooperation. As I recently wrote, we strongly support the goals of the Council and believe closer cooperation on digital, trade and economic policy will help achieve shared goals – overcoming the pandemic, achieving an equitable economic recovery, promoting the responsible use of technology, and advancing democratic norms.

The TTC has a wide-ranging agenda, with ten working groups covering a broad array of topics. While it is encouraging that both sides have agreed that all issues should be on the table, the long-term success of the forum will depend on the parties focusing and making progress on the most critical ones. To that end, here are a few that we think merit serious attention:

• Transatlantic regulatory principles:The digital economy and the millions of jobs it supports on both sides of the Atlantic require meaningful consultation between EU and US decision makers based on shared regulatory principles. While policymakers on both sides are rightly debating new rules around technology in areas like AI, it is essential that these and other new policies governing digital markets and services are interoperable and focused on helping and protecting consumers – adhering to principles of consistent treatment, robust due process protections, and safeguards for user privacy and intellectual property.
• Secure transatlantic cyberspace:Internet infrastructure on both sides of the Atlantic and globally is increasingly under threat as cyberattacks continue to exploit vulnerabilities targeting people, organizations, and governments. Greater coordination between European and US cybersecurity work, including building shared standards, is critical to enhanced effectiveness. We’re committed to supporting this initiative, including by partnering with government, industry and academia, and we recently pledged to invest $10 billion over the next five years to strengthen cybersecurity around the world.
• Legal certainty on data flows: In the digital world, where every email and video conference involves the transfer of data, businesses on both sides of the Atlantic need legal certainty that such data flows can continue, subject to agreed protection of consumer privacy. The EU and US urgently need a reliable, long-term agreement on transatlantic data flows. Resolving this issue with a new Privacy Shield will enable Europe and the US to drive trust with allies and globally.  
• Responsible use of technology:Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are increasingly critical to the transatlantic economy and to tackling common challenges like climate change. During the pandemic, AI has been used to boost knowledge sharing, enable better prediction of health trends, and support research to develop vaccines and treatments for serious disease. But these same technologies also present new challenges and risks, as well as potential regulatory conflicts. Under the TTC, the EU and US have an opportunity to establish a common approach to AI policy and research that enables responsible AI innovation and adoption around the world. The business community has an important role to play here, which is why we created a set of AI principles that govern our responsible development of this technology and are sharing our progress in implementation.
• Trade and technology for everyone: All too often, small businesses and workers have been an afterthought when it comes to the international trading system and the technology agenda. A smart approach to trade policy and innovation can bring them back in – and create new opportunities for workers and small businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. The EU and the US should identify access barriers, find new ways to ensure that workers get digital skills, and put digital tools and exporting technologies in the hands of small businesses. At Google, we have launched an updated version of our Market Finder tool, which enables small businesses to sell their goods and services to international markets. And we’re partnering with a range of actors – whether through the European Commission’s Pact for Skills or directly with community colleges, non-profits, and workforce boards – to make our job training programs more accessible. So far, these programs have helped over 100,000 people on each side of the Atlantic to secure new jobs.
• An open internet that respects international human rights:We continue to believe that an open internet – one that respects human rights – benefits everyone. But the open internet is increasingly under threat. According to Freedom House, governments suspended internet access in over 20 countries in 2021 and dozens of countries pursued content rules that would impact freedom of expression. We need democracies – led by Europe and the US – to continue to stand up for internet freedom and human rights in the online space. We are committed to working with governments, multilateral and multi-stakeholder organizations, and other technology companies to advance those values.  

The historic partnership between Europe and the US faces some profound challenges, but, as in the past, we have always found opportunities to build and strengthen our partnership based on shared values and common principles. The launch of the TTC is proof that our shared values are stronger than any individual difference of opinion. We applaud this initiative and stand ready to contribute to its success.  

A look at the new Future Readiness Economic Index for decision makers

The pandemic has had devastating effects on  emerging economies, threatening to undo thirty years of progress. In countries like Kenya, India, and Brazil, COVID drove up unemployment, disrupted supply chains, and devastated entire sectors.

If we do nothing, it could take years for these countries to recover, creating even greater divides between people in developed and emerging economies. But we’re seeing a contrary trend that could dramatically turn things around. Looking beyond the short-term headlines to longer-term trends actually tells a different story.

As last year’s Digital Sprinters Framework outlined, if emerging economies adopt the right digital policies, they could actually emerge stronger and better prepared to accelerate economic growth and opportunity.

While COVID has accelerated use of technology to learn and conduct business, almost half of all households in the developing world still lack access to broadband and high-speed internet. Greater digital adoption could help emerging economies generate as much as $3.4 trillion of economic value by 2030. That amount of growth would mean an astonishing 25 percent increase in GDP in Brazil, a 31 percent increase in Saudi Arabia and a 33 percent increase in Nigeria.

Unlocking this growth will require focused initiatives. Governments in emerging markets want to know where to invest limited resources, and how to support and grow their national talent pool.  That’s why, building on the Digital Sprinters framework, Google commissioned the Portulans Institute to develop a “Future Readiness Economic Index” — a ranking of digital progress, and a roadmap for the future.

The Future Readiness Economic Index

The Future Readiness Economic Index gives governments, businesses and analysts comprehensive metrics and milestones to assess their digital transformation.

Assessing countrywide trends can be an inexact science. But by breaking down the data in critical areas like infrastructure, talent development, skills matching, and technology adoption, the Portulans Institute’s Index can help countries focus their efforts to get the biggest returns on investment. For example, the Index suggests that Brazil, which ranks 67th globally on the Index, could sprint ahead with more adoption of digital technologies like cloud, AI and machine learning.

Seizing the chance to sprint ahead

Emerging economies have a key advantage. Unlike developed economies — which need to upgrade or replace outdated legacy infrastructure — many emerging markets can leapfrog ahead, building advanced tools from scratch rather than remodeling existing ones. (Think of how many countries without extensive landline telephone infrastructures in the 1990s have become leaders in mobile telephony adoption.)

Starting with the latest technologies can streamline progress. But which technologies, and what’s the right balance of investing in human capital, infrastructure and other critical elements? And which policies will accelerate progress and yield the greatest gains in competitiveness? The Index provides some objective comparisons to help answer those questions.

Good public policy that supports technology innovation can expand the pie for everyone.  Widely dispersed technological progress has doubled human lifespans over the last century and lifted more than a billion people from poverty in the last thirty years alone. Evidence-based investments, policies and digital tools will equip emerging economies to make even more progress in the years ahead.

Next week, leaders from government, civil society and the business community will convene at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to discuss how we can work together to solve the world’s biggest challenges. If the past two years have shown us anything, it’s that tackling global problems like pandemics, economic inequality and climate change demand global collaboration, across borders and across sectors. At Google, we’re committed to doing our part.

Earlier this year, I wrote about how we are accelerating our partnerships with international organizations in a number of areas. For example, since the start of the pandemic, we've launched more than 200 new products, provided over $150 million to public health officials to promote vaccine education, and enhanced existing products like Google Search and Maps to highlight authoritative information about COVID-19 and local vaccination sites. We’ve also continued to increase our support for the UN by providing over $250 million in Ad Grants, which has enabled it to serve over 1.6 billion ads and reach people in more than 200 countries with messages about COVID-19 prevention, vaccine safety and more. 

At UNGA this year, we will be deepening our collaboration with international organizations as we add our voice to critical policy discussions, share what we have learned from our partnerships, and seek out new ways to collaborate with multi-stakeholder groups.

Here are just a few events at which we’ll be participating next week around key issues.

Economic Recovery 

While the pandemic has exacerbated economic inequality around the world, the data shows that nations that adopt technology are poised to recover quicker. According to recent research, 16 emerging countries could generate as much as $3.4 trillion of economic value through digital transformation by 2030. 

On September 20, Google SVP of Global Affairs Kent Walker will join the Concordia Summit to discuss a new Future Readiness Index commissioned by Google and developed by the Portulans Institute. This interactive tool is designed to help governments use key metrics and data to make sound investments in technology, infrastructure and talent.

Sustainability and Climate Action

Technology has an important role to play in tackling climate change, and we’ve long been committed to advancing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and collaborating with UN entities like the Framework Convention on Climate Change to drive progress. We were the first major company to be carbon neutral and match 100% of our annual electricity use with renewables, and now we’re working to be the first major company to operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030.

On September 24 at theUN High Level Dialogue on Energy, our CFO Ruth Porat will call on other companies and governments to join the Sustainable Energy for All-Google 24/7 Carbon Free Energy Compact. Ruth will also speak at the kickoff of Climate Week on September 20 to discuss how we are working to achieve sustainability at scale and fulfill our commitment to offer 1 billion people new ways to live more sustainably by 2022 via our core products.

Music and Culture

In celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday, Google Arts & Culture and YouTube collaborated with other worldwide partners on the Global Ode To Joy project. Through this initiative, which is a fitting contribution to the UN’s International Year of the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, thousands of users, top-tier artists, and orchestras from more than 70 countries came together to create and share videos of Beethoven’s music. On September 22, Kent will host a panel during the Concordia Summit with participants from the Ode to Joy campaign to discuss how music is bringing people together during the pandemic.

To be sure, with many events this year again virtual, UNGA 2021 will be a little different from years past. But the opportunities it presents for engagement with partners from around the world remain rich, and the need for collaboration substantial. Whether in person or over a screen, Google is “all in” when it comes to supporting the UN’s vision of multilateral and multi-stakeholder approaches to confronting the world’s biggest challenges. 

In remarks to the UN's High-Level Humanitarian Event on Anticipatory Action, Google SVP for Global Affairs, Kent Walker, discusses collaboration to accelerate crisis preparedness and predict crises before they happen. Read the full remarks below.

Mr. Secretary General, your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen - it’s an honor to join you as we come together to discuss these critical humanitarian issues.

As you know, technology is already raising living standards around the world—leveraging science to double life spans over the last 100 years, helping a billion people emerge from poverty in the last 30 years alone. And innovation will help drive environmental sustainability, raise living standards, improve healthcare, and enhance crisis response.

But addressing global needs in a meaningful way requires strong collaborations between technologists, governments, humanitarian organizations, and those most directly affected.

That’s why we are pleased to announce a $1.5 million commitment to OCHA’s Center for Humanitarian Data. Over the next two years, Google.org will support the Center in scaling up the use of forecasts and predictive models to anticipate humanitarian crises and trigger the release of funds before conditions escalate.

From the earliest days of efforts like Hans Rosling’s GapMinder, it’s been a dream that rather than waiting for a crisis to occur, data and technology could help predict events like droughts or food shortages weeks ahead of time, allowing agencies to provide alerts and deliver supplies to avert the crisis. That technology exists now, today—and we need to put it to work.

With the signs of climate change all around us, it’s essential that we improve our collective preparedness, and protect our most vulnerable populations.

Google is honored to support the critical work led by OCHA and the Center for Humanitarian Data, and we’re committed to combining funding, innovation, and technical expertise to support underserved communities and expand opportunity for everyone.

We hope others will join us in the important work of getting ahead of crises before they happen.

Thank you.

We built Android to create more choices in mobile technology. Today, anyone, including our competitors, can customize and build devices with the Android operating system — for free. 

We also built an app store, Google Play, that helps people download apps on their devices. If you don’t find the app you’re looking for in Google Play, you can choose to download the app from a rival app store or directly from a developer’s website. We don’t impose the same restrictions as other mobile operating systems do.

So it’s strange that a group of state attorneys general chose to file a lawsuit attacking a system that provides more openness and choice than others. This complaint mimics a similarly meritless lawsuit filed by the large app developer Epic Games, which has benefitted from Android’s openness by distributing its Fortnite app outside of Google Play.

Here’s more detail on how this lawsuit gets it wrong:

Google Play competes vigorously and fairly

The complaint limits its definition of the app marketplace to Android devices only. This completely ignores the competition we face from other platforms such as Apple's incredibly successful app store, which accounts for the majority of mobile app store revenues according to third-party estimates. We compete for both developers and consumers, and if we’re not providing them with the best experience on Google Play, they have other alternatives to choose from.

Android increases competition and choice

This complaint alleges that consumers and developers have no option other than to use Google Play. But that’s not correct. Choice has always been a core tenet of Android. Device makers and carriers can preload competing app stores alongside Google Play on their devices. In fact, most Android devices ship with two or more app stores preloaded. And popular Android devices such as the Amazon Fire tablet come preloaded with a competitive app store and no Google Play Store.

Consumers can also “sideload” apps, meaning they can download them from a developer’s website directly without going through Google Play at all. People sideload successful apps like Fortnite, as well as entire app stores like the Amazon Appstore, neither of which are distributed through Google Play.

Contributing to this openness and choice, we also give developers more ways to interact with their customers compared to other operating systems. For example, Google Play allows developers to communicate with their customers outside the app about subscription offers or a lower-cost offering on a rival app store or the developer’s website.

Google Play helps developers succeed

The complaint suggests that Google Play somehow inhibits developers’ ability to grow. Even though developers have a range of distribution options on Android, we’re proud that, as of February 2020, developers had earned over $80 billion through Google Play. And in 2020, the Android app economy, including Google Play, helped create nearly 2 million American jobs. 

We provide resources to help developers build great apps, lower their costs and grow their businesses. This includes tools that help developers reduce testing burdens, run beta tests and monitor their app at scale. We also invest significantly in security. Google Play Protect, our security service, now scans more than 100 billion apps every day; in 2019, it prevented 1.9 billion malware installs.

The economic model of Play and Android benefits developers

The complaint is peppered with inflammatory language designed to distract from the fact that our rules on Android and Google Play benefit consumers. We stand behind apps distributed on Google Play, so we do have some rules to keep the store secure, protect privacy and prevent fraud. For example, we have rules around spam, app reviews and inappropriate content. These rules don't harm consumers; they help protect their safety and security. People want and expect this when using their phones. 

Under our Google Play billing policy, the 3% of developers who actually sell digital products or content use Google Play’s billing system and are subject to a progressive service fee: 15% on the first $1 million earned (99% of developers who pay any fee earn less than a million dollars), and then 30% for earnings above $1 million. Some large app developers, like Epic, want preferential rates and want to use their own payment processing system, but that would harm the ecosystem as a whole.

• First, our current business model benefits the overwhelming majority of developers. About 97% of developers today don’t sell digital content on Google Play and therefore aren't subject to a service fee. Less than 0.1% of developers — who are the largest and most profitable on Google Play — are subject to a 30% service fee on some transactions. This lawsuit is essentially on behalf of that 0.1% of developers. Moreover, the complaint conspicuously fails to mention that our fee is comparable to other rival digital stores, including the Samsung Galaxy Store, Amazon Appstore, Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and Apple App Store. 

• Second, a centralized billing system protects consumers from fraud and gives consumers an easy way to track purchases in one place. It also enables us to provide robust parental and safety controls and subscription management tools that are critical to consumer trust.

Even with these rules, it’s worth reiterating: Developers who don’t like our policies can still distribute their apps to Android users directly or through rival app stores without using our billing system or paying us a cent — and many do. 

A meritless lawsuit that ignores Android’s openness

We understand that scrutiny is appropriate, and we’re committed to engaging with regulators. But Android and Google Play provide openness and choice that other platforms simply don’t. This lawsuit isn’t about helping the little guy or protecting consumers. It’s about boosting a handful of major app developers who want the benefits of Google Play without paying for it. Doing so risks raising costs for small developers, impeding their ability to innovate and compete, and making apps across the Android ecosystem less secure for consumers. 

For more information on Google Play, please visit our Android developer blog.