F5a, F5b, F6, F7, P10a, P10b, P11a, P11b
Note that with these indicators on transparency reports in the Freedom of Expression and Information category we are looking for data on content and account removals; in the Privacy category we are looking for data on demands for user info. Researchers use one source document (the company transparency report) across these indicators and should do these indicators as a group.
Indicators F5(a) and F5 (b) and P10(a) and P10(b): look for information about how companies handle (or process) demands by governments (or other types of law enforcement) or private requests. This information is often found (across all companies) in a company’s Legal Requests policy – or some version of that.
Watch for whether the report covers all services. Facebook for instance lost points in 2019 because it clarified that its Transparency Reports cover Facebook and Messenger but not Instagram.
Most of the 26 companies evaluated by RDR do not produce “transparency reports” that disclose information about how they handle external (government and private requests) to remove content or accounts or for user data. Of those that do produce transparency reports (US platform companies, some European telcos), it is very likely that they have issued new transparency reports since the last RDR Index was published.
For those working on US companies and European telcos, you should pay special attention to the law enforcement guidelines (these do tend to change) in order to address questions in F5a and F5b and P10a and P10b and then just check that the report covers the same things as in previous years (including the same scope of services).
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