Google LLC said today it’s expanding the scope of its semiannual transparency report and will begin reporting the number of government requests it receives for Google Cloud Platform and G Suite Enterprise customer data.

“The publication of this information is an important milestone in our efforts to improve transparency and help address broader uncertainty about how often governments are coming to Google to request access to enterprise customer data,” Google Cloud Chief Executive Officer Thomas Kurian wrote in a blog post.

Google is expanding its transparency report at a time when the U.S. government is working to forge more data sharing agreements with foreign nations based on the U.S. Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act, also known as the CLOUD Act. Just this month, the U.S. agreed a bilateral deal with U.K. authorities that will give law enforcement officials in both countries more direct access to cross-border data when investigating serious crimes. The U.S. has also begun negotiations with Australia over a similar agreement.

Kurian said that in light of those agreements, Google wanted to emphasize its commitment to customers’ control over their data. To that end it also published a list of new principles that will guide its government advocacy efforts.

“Together, these efforts reflect our core belief that customers should have no less control over data stored with a cloud provider than they would if the data were stored in their own data centers,” Kurian said.

The new principles “will help to drive greater transparency surrounding customer control and government requests to disclose enterprise customer data,” he added. “These principles also provide a consistent and lasting framework that will help both enterprises and governments develop predictable and normalized approaches to digital data.”

Constellation Research Inc. analyst Holger Mueller lauded Google attempt at revealing more about government requests for data.

“Transparency matters and is needed for the cloud business model,” Mueller said. “When enterprises no longer have their servers in their own data centers, there is always a concern over who could do what with them. And Big Brother spying on you is always a concern, especially on a transcontinental level.”

Image: Google