Kenya made more requests to Meta for user data in 2024 than in any other year, marking the highest number since the tech giant began publishing government request statistics.

According to newly released data from Meta’s Transparency Centre, the Ruto administration sought information on 49 user accounts last year through 35 separate requests.

This puts Kenya seventh in Africa for the number of data access demands to Facebook’s parent company.

Of the 35 requests, Meta reports that seven were filed under emergency cases while the remaining 28 were linked to legal processes initiated by the Kenyan government.

But Meta did not always cooperate.

During the first half of 2024, only 43.5% of the 23 requests led to partial or full disclosure of information. In the second half, the success rate dropped to 33% from 12 requests.

Kenya’s engagement with Meta has grown in recent years. In 2023, the government made 15 requests involving 31 accounts, while in 2022, it filed 23 requests targeting 39 accounts.

Meta’s figures show a steady increase in both the number of requests and the accounts targeted over time.

Compared to neighbouring countries, Kenya’s data requests to Meta stand out.

Uganda made only two in 2024, while Tanzania and South Sudan made one each. Somalia and Ethiopia made none.

In contrast, the United States made 156,556 requests to Meta in 2024 alone, followed by the United Kingdom with 21,684.

Across Africa, Morocco topped the continent with 1,188 data requests last year, followed by Tunisia (121), Libya (68), Algeria (54), Ghana (38), South Africa (36), and Kenya (35).

Commenting on the global data landscape, social media trainer and consultant Kennedy Kachwanya said, “The US has a global reach, meaning most of their requests are around the world through the CIA,” as quoted by Business Daily.

On why Kenya’s neighbours made fewer requests, Kachwanya added, “They have banned most of the social media platforms.”

Kenya has been reaching out to Meta since 2014, but last year’s figures set a new high, pointing to a growing reliance on user data for emergency and legal actions under the current administration.