The government filed 146 requests for information from Facebook in the first six months of 2017, with the social media giant supplying data to just 60 per cent of the demands.

In its biannual report on requests for information by governments around the world, Facebook notes the Maltese authorities made 146 requests for user data between January and June last year. The social networking site gives a breakdown of the requests twice a year, outlining also the number of accounts referenced by every government.

In the case of Malta, in the first half of last year, 161 user accounts were referenced by the government. Facebook provided “some data” to 62 per cent of requests.

Of these, six requests were related to emergencies and made by law enforcement officials through an online request system due to possible imminent harm to a child or a person being perceived as in imminent danger.

The authorities also requested the preservation of two accounts, the report shows, with Facebook taking steps to preserve them for 90 days if they proved to be connected to official investigations.

In 2016, while 144 requests were made by the Maltese government during the first six months and another 172 requests made in the second half, Facebook refused to comply with just one-quarter of the requests.

According to Facebook, government officials occasionally ask for data about its users, in most cases asking for basic subscriber information, such as names and the duration of service.

The government might also ask for IP address logs or the user’s account content.

Some governments also asked for content restrictions if the current limits were deemed to violate the laws of the  country.

Facebook said it would only comply after scrutinising the content to confirm it was indeed breaking laws. The Maltese government made no such requests in the first half of last year.