Washington ? Google Inc., which refused in the last year to hand over user search data to U.S. authorities fighting children’s access to pornography, said Friday it was complying with a Brazilian court’s orders to turn over data that can help identify users accused of taking part in online communities that encourage racism, pedophilia and homophobia.

The difference, it says, is scale and purpose.

The Justice Department wanted Google’s entire search index, billions of pages and two months’ worth of queries, for a broad civil case. Brazil, by contrast, is looking for information in specific cases involving Google’s social networking site, Orkut.

“What they’re asking for is not billions of pages,” said Nicole Wong, Google associate general counsel. “In most cases, it’s relatively discrete – small and narrow.”

Google released a statement Friday saying it was complying with the Brazilian court orders following a ruling Thursday by a Brazilian judge that threatened to fine Google $23,000 a day for noncompliance.