James Martin/CNET

Joining Facebook and Microsoft, Apple has revealed the number of requests from U.S. law enforcement for user information and affected accounts.

The iPad maker said that it received between 4,000 and 5,000 requests from U.S. law enforcement agencies for customer data from December 1, 2012 to May 31, 2013, and that 9,000 to 10,000 accounts or devices were specified in the requests. Apple did not state how many of the requests were from the National Security Agency or how many affected accounts or devices may have been tied to any NSA requests.

But Apple did say that "the most common form of request" came from police -- presumably local or state agencies, judging by the context in the company's statement -- "investigating robberies and other crimes, searching for missing children, trying to locate a patient with Alzheimer's disease, or hoping to prevent a suicide."

The tally from Apple emerges amid a furor that erupted earlier this month over allegations that the NSA has engaged in a sweeping effort to surreptitiously acquire information connected to phone calls and Web usage.

Apple said in its statement that it does not provide any government agency with direct access to its servers and that government agencies requesting customer content must get a court order.

Previous to Apple's disclosure, Facebook stated that it received 9,000 to 10,000 requests for customer data from government agencies, and that between 18,000 and 19,000 of its 1.1 billion accounts were impacted over a six-month period ending December 31, 2012.

Microsoft disclosed that it received 6,000 to 7,000 criminal and national security warrants, subpoenas, and orders affecting between 31,000 and 32,000 consumer accounts from U.S. governmental entities over the same six-month period.

A Google representative told CNET that it is working on disclosing the same type of statistics, and plans to be more detailed than Microsoft or Facebook.

In its note, Apple reiterated that it does not give any government agency direct access to its servers, and requires a court order to release customer content.

Below is Apple's full statement: