For the first ever time, the search engine giant Google has released details about how often countries across the world sent in requests to hand over data or to censor certain information.

At the top of the list is Brazil with a total of 3,663 data requests and the US sent in 3,580 requests. UK came in at the third place with as many as 1,166 requests.

During the past month, the internet major pulled out its search engine operations from China over online censorship issues.

Google has stressed that it cannot provide any data or statistics on request from China which are considered as state secrets.

As far as requests for removing of data went, Brazil topped that as well with as many as 291 requests to do so from July to December 2009. At the second position was Germany with 188 and India came in third with 142 requests in all.

The US occupied the fourth position with 123 requests.

"The vast majority of these requests are valid and the information needed is for legitimate criminal investigations or for the removal of child pornography", said David Drummond, Google's Chief Legal Officer.