Reddit's 2015 Transparency Report Teases National Security Letter

Reddit has released its 2015 Transparency Report, the followup to its 2014 report with updated numbers on government requests and more. Says Reddit, it aims to show users a couple different types of data, namely the number and variety of requests it gets for user information and content removal, as well as how many requests it gets that it is legally required to act on. It seems this time around, Reddit may have received a National Security Letter, as well.

According to the new transparency report, Reddit received a 78-percent increase in how many requests it got from the U.S. and abroad regarding user account data. This included 98 requests for user data, a big jump over 2014's 55 requests. As well, 60% of the requests were honored, a two-percent increase year-on-year.

A total of 142 users were affected by the "production of user account information," says Reddit.

Breaking down the numbers specifically for the U.S., the company received 15 emergency requests, 44 subpoenas, 10 court orders, and 8 search warrants. All the court orders were honored, and 75% of the subpoenas and search warrants were. Only 27% of the emergency requests were, however. The number of non-US requests reached 21.

What is most interesting, though, is the lack of mention of National Security Letters (secret court orders accompanied by gag orders), which indicates the company may have received one. Previously, the report explicitly stated that Reddit has never been on the receiving end of an NSL (as of January 2015). The fact that phrase isn't included this time around indicates that at least one NSL was received last year.

When this point was mentioned on Reddit, /u/Spez simply said, "I've been advised not to say anything one way or the other."

SOURCE: Reddit