Law Enforcement Request Policy
Stop Flock Cams Now · Last updated: 2026-08-23
This policy governs how SFCN, operated by [OPERATOR], responds to requests from law enforcement and other government entities for user information. It exists so that requesters, users, and our own staff all know the rules in advance.
1. Start here: we hold very little
We designed the platform so there is almost nothing to request (privacy-policy.md):
- No identity requirement. Contributors may use pseudonyms; we never require real names.
- Searches aren't stored tied to people. Address/location searches resolve client-side; we cannot produce "who searched for this address" because that record does not exist.
- No tracking. Self-hosted aggregate analytics; no ad-tech identifiers; no cross-site data.
- Short log retention. Infrastructure logs rotate on a short cycle (target ≤30 days) and are not joined to accounts.
- What we do hold: subscriber email addresses with followed areas; contributor account records (email, display name, submission history, moderation audit trail); photos and reports — the substance of which is already public in the open dataset.
Requesters should also note: the entire camera database is public and freely downloadable (data-license.md). No legal process is needed for published data — take the dump.
2. Legal process requirements
We do not disclose user information on informal request. We require valid legal process, correctly scoped and served on [OPERATOR]'s registered agent or [legal@stopflockcamsnow.com]:
| Data sought | Minimum process (U.S.) |
|---|---|
| Basic subscriber records (email, account creation date, IP at registration if held) | Subpoena valid under applicable law |
| Non-content records/logs beyond basic subscriber info | Court order (e.g., 18 U.S.C. § 2703(d)) |
| Content of communications not already public | Search warrant on probable cause |
| Non-U.S. requests | MLAT or other lawful U.S.-recognized process; we do not honor foreign process directly |
Our practices on every request:
- Review before response. Counsel reviews each request for validity, jurisdiction, and scope; we produce only what is specifically and lawfully compelled, and we challenge overbroad, unlawful, or improperly served requests — including moving to quash where appropriate.
- User notice. We notify the affected user before disclosure and give them an opportunity to object, unless we are legally prohibited (e.g., a valid § 2705(b) order) or notice would create risk of death or serious injury. Where notice is delayed by law, we notify when the prohibition expires.
- Emergency disclosure. Where we have a good-faith belief that an emergency involving danger of death or serious physical injury requires disclosure without delay, we may disclose the minimum necessary information (as 18 U.S.C. § 2702(b)(8) permits). Every emergency disclosure is documented internally and counted in the transparency report.
- Preservation requests (18 U.S.C. § 2703(f)): honored as required by law, scoped to what we actually hold, for the statutory period.
- No voluntary bulk access. We do not provide any government entity with bulk, direct, or ongoing access to user data, and we have never done so.
We are aware of the irony of a surveillance-transparency site receiving surveillance demands. The same rules apply to everyone, and we will document every request to the fullest extent the law allows.
3. Transparency reporting commitment
- We publish a transparency report at least annually (semiannually once volume justifies it) counting: requests received by type and jurisdiction, requests complied with in whole or part, requests challenged or rejected, emergency disclosures, preservation requests, and accounts affected. Numbers may be banded only where the law requires it.
- Warrant canary posture: to the extent lawful, the report will state the number of national-security process requests received, including when that number is zero.
- Requests that concern the platform's published data rather than users (e.g., demands to remove camera records) are handled under corrections-policy.md and terms-of-service.md, counted in the same report, and do not receive quiet compliance: we remove accurate, lawfully obtained public-interest data only when legally compelled, and we say so publicly when it happens.
4. Service and contact
Legal process: [legal@stopflockcamsnow.com] and [OPERATOR registered agent / postal address]. We accept service by email for convenience; email acceptance does not waive any objection, including to jurisdiction or validity. Non-emergency requests are answered in the order received; identify emergency requests clearly as such.
This policy is informational, describes our intended practices, and is not a contract or legal advice.