Law Enforcement Request Protocols

Authorized law-enforcement personnel should submit requests through our Contact and Support page. Select “Safety concern” and begin the subject with “LAW ENFORCEMENT REQUEST.” Requests must be sent from an official government email account. Members of the public should use the ordinary safety-reporting tools.

Each request must include the agency name; requesting officer’s name, title, badge or identification number, official email address, and telephone number; case or reference number; the member or account identifiers; the specific records and date range requested; the legal authority supporting the request; the response deadline; and a complete, signed copy of the applicable legal process.

Requests must be properly issued, addressed to The RIGHT One, sufficiently specific, and served by an authority with jurisdiction. We may seek clarification, reject defective process, object to an overbroad request, or require a request to be domesticated before responding.

A valid subpoena may compel disclosure of limited basic subscriber or account information, to the extent it exists in our possession or control. This may include the member’s name, registration email address, telephone number, account-creation date, general account status, subscription type and service period, and basic session or connection information authorized by law.

A subpoena alone is not sufficient to obtain private-message content, photographs, profile narratives, Values Compass responses, The RIGHT Questions responses, report contents, support-message contents, or other stored member-generated content.

A valid court order issued under applicable law, including 18 U.S.C. § 2703(d) when applicable, may compel disclosure of the basic records described above together with specified non-content account records. Depending on availability and the scope of the order, these records may include login dates and times, associated IP addresses, device or browser information, account-activity history, profile-change history, subscription or transaction history, moderation actions, and match, interest, block, or report-event logs that do not reveal the contents of communications or reports.

The order must identify the relevant account, the particular categories of records sought, and the applicable date range.

We require a valid search warrant issued upon probable cause for stored communications or other information for which a warrant is required by law. This includes private-message content; photographs and uploaded media; profile narratives and questionnaire responses; Values Compass and The RIGHT Questions responses; the contents of member reports or support communications; precise location information, if collected and available; and unpublished or deleted content that remains available in our systems.

We disclose only information described in the warrant and reasonably available in our possession or control. Identity documents, biometric information, full payment-card information, or other records processed and controlled by Stripe or another independent provider may require separate legal process directed to that provider.

We accept valid preservation requests made under 18 U.S.C. § 2703(f) or other applicable law. A request must identify the account and records to be preserved with sufficient specificity and cite the legal authority for preservation.

Upon receipt of a valid request, we will preserve the identified, then-existing records for 90 days. We will extend preservation for one additional 90-day period if we receive a valid renewed request before the original period expires.

A preservation request prevents the identified records from being deleted during the applicable preservation period, but it does not authorize their disclosure. Law enforcement must separately serve the subpoena, court order, warrant, or other legal process required for the requested information. Preservation applies only to records in our possession or control when the request is received; it does not require us to create records that do not exist or begin collecting new information.

When law enforcement reasonably believes there is an emergency involving an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury, the request must be clearly labeled “EMERGENCY.” It must identify the person at risk, describe the nature and immediacy of the threat, explain how the requested information may prevent or address the harm, identify the specific information requested, and explain why ordinary legal process cannot be obtained in time.

We evaluate emergency requests individually and may voluntarily disclose limited information when we reasonably and in good faith believe disclosure is permitted by 18 U.S.C. § 2702 or other applicable law. Submitting an emergency request does not guarantee disclosure. We disclose only information reasonably necessary to address the emergency. This process does not replace 911 or local emergency services.

Unless prohibited by law, court order, or a valid nondisclosure requirement, we may notify an affected member before disclosure and provide a reasonable opportunity to challenge the request.

We may delay or withhold notice when a court order or law prohibits notification; a valid nondisclosure order has been issued under 18 U.S.C. § 2705(b) or similar authority; notice could create an imminent risk of death or serious physical injury; notice could endanger another person; or notice could result in destruction of evidence, witness intimidation, flight from prosecution, or other interference with an investigation.

We generally do not provide advance notice when responding to a valid emergency request. When a temporary nondisclosure restriction expires, we may notify the affected member unless notice remains legally prohibited or another lawful safety or investigative reason for withholding notice continues to apply.

Non-U.S. law-enforcement authorities must generally use an applicable Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, letters rogatory, the CLOUD Act, or another process recognized and enforceable in the United States.

A preservation letter, attorney demand, or civil subpoena from a private party does not automatically authorize access to protected member communications or content. Private parties must use valid legal process applicable to the particular information requested.

We review requests for facial validity, jurisdiction, proper service, specificity, and compliance with applicable law. We disclose only information required by valid legal process and reasonably available in our possession or control. We do not guarantee that particular content or account data exists or remains available. Retention varies by record type, account status, safety needs, ordinary business practices, and legal obligations.