NAIROBI, Kenya — President William Ruto’s government significantly escalated its requests for user data from Meta, the parent company of social media giants like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, reaching unprecedented levels in 2024.
This trend is highlighted by data recently released by the technology conglomerate.
Meta operates under a policy of releasing user data to governments globally, provided such requests are “in accordance with applicable law and our terms of service.”
These disclosures can be prompted by legal processes or emergency situations.
According to statistics published on Meta’s Transparency Centre, Kenyan authorities submitted a total of 35 requests for data concerning 55 users or accounts during 2024.
Of these, 23 requests were made between January and June, with 19 pertaining to legal processes and four due to emergency disclosure requirements.
Meta reported that for 43.50 percent of these requests, some form of data was produced. The latter half of 2024 saw the Ruto administration send 12 requests to Meta, comprising nine for legal processes and three for emergency disclosures.
This marks a notable increase compared to previous years.
Meta received 15 requests from the Kenyan government throughout 2023, 23 in 2022, and 25 in 2021. In 2020, Kenyan authorities made 33 user data requests to the company.
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Regionally, Kenya’s figures stand out. In 2024, Uganda submitted only two requests, while Tanzania and South Sudan each made one. Other nations such as Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Somalia did not submit any requests to Meta during the same period. Across the African continent, Morocco registered the highest number of requests, with 1,188.
Globally, the United States led in data requests with a staggering 156,556 submissions, followed by the United Kingdom with 21,684 requests.
Meta reiterates that all incoming requests are meticulously reviewed for legal sufficiency.
The company reserves the right to reject requests or demand greater specificity for those deemed “overly broad or vague.”
