Facebook Reveals How Often the Government Comes Calling for Data

Facebook revealed more detail on how frequently it gets information requests from government agencies in a public statement late Friday. In a post on the company's press site, Facebook General Counsel Ted Ullyot said it received between 9,000-10,000 requests over the six-month period ending on Dec. 31, 2012.

That adds up to roughly 1,500 requests per month. Ullyot said the nature of the requests from "government entities" is quite varied, including things like a local sheriff trying to locate a missing child to national security agencies investigating terrorist activity.