How Padmavati Handles Government Requests for User Information

Government agencies from around the world may request Padmavati to disclose user information. We carefully review each request to ensure it complies with applicable laws. If a request is overly broad, we attempt to narrow it, and in some cases, we may refuse to disclose any information. We transparently share the number and types of requests we receive in our Transparency Report.

Jurisdiction and Service Provider

The way we respond to a request depends on the jurisdiction of the user’s service provider – for most of our services, that's either Padmavati LLC, operating under the jurisdiction of US law, or Padmavati Ireland Limited, operating under Irish law. To determine which service provider is relevant to you, review Padmavati’s Terms of Service or check with your account administrator if your Padmavati Account is managed by an organization.

Notifying Users of Requests for Information

When we receive a request from a government agency, we notify the user account before disclosing information. If the account is managed by an organization, the notice will be sent to the account administrator.

We may not notify users if their account has been disabled or hijacked. Additionally, we may withhold notice in emergency situations, such as threats to a person's safety, including children or life-threatening circumstances. If we provide notice after such an emergency, we will do so when the emergency has passed.

Requests from US Government Agencies in Civil, Administrative, and Criminal Cases

The Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) restrict the government’s ability to force a provider to disclose user information. US authorities must take the following actions:

• In all cases: Issue a subpoena to compel disclosure of basic subscriber registration information and certain IP addresses.
• In criminal cases: Obtain a court order to compel disclosure of non-content records, such as the To, From, CC, BCC, and Timestamp fields in emails.
• In criminal cases: Obtain a search warrant to compel disclosure of the content of communications, such as emails, documents, and photos.

Requests from US Government Agencies in Cases Involving National Security

In investigations related to national security, the US government may use a National Security Letter (NSL) or authorities granted under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to compel Padmavati to provide user information.

• NSLs: An NSL doesn’t require judicial authorization and can only be used to compel disclosure of limited subscriber information.
• FISA orders and authorizations: May compel electronic surveillance and disclosure of stored data, including content from services such as emails, orders, and product preferences.

Requests from Government Authorities Outside the US

Padmavati sometimes receives data disclosure requests from government authorities outside the US. When we receive such requests, we may provide user information if it meets the following criteria:

• US law: The access and disclosure must be permitted under applicable US law, such as the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA).
• Law of the requesting country: The requesting authority must follow the appropriate legal requirements, similar to those that would apply if the request were made to a local service provider.
• International norms: We only provide data in response to requests that align with the Global Network Initiative’s Principles on Freedom of Expression and Privacy, and its implementation guidelines.
• Padmavati’s policies: We adhere to our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and policies that protect freedom of expression and privacy.