Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many requests there have been to social media companies under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 in the last two years; and on how many occasions the information requested was (a) supplied and (b) refused.

Investigatory powers, including interception, communications data and surveillance, are fundamental to investigating crime, safeguarding national security and protecting the public. The use of these powers is subject to
stringent safeguards and is primarily regulated by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

The Interception of Communications Commissioner provides robust, independent oversight of the use of interception and communications data and provides reports to the Prime Minister, which are published and laid in Parliament.
These reports includes statistics on public authorities’ use of interception and communications data powers, and his 2013 report contained more statistics than ever before.

It would not be appropriate to provide further details about the companies to which requests have been made, and their responses to such requests, as this would damage national security and efforts to fight serious crime.