Law Enforcement Guide

This Law Enforcement Guide ("Guide") is designed to assist law enforcement agencies and officials in their investigations and interactions with PlayHouse. It outlines our procedures for handling law enforcement requests and provides information on the types of data we may be able to share.

1. General Inquiries: For general enquiries not related to content removal, preservation, or disclosure of account information, please use our Contact Form. All other official requests should be sent through our Law Enforcement Request Form in accordance with the instructions below.
2. Content Removal Requests: To request the removal of content that is illegal or violates our Terms of Service, submit a request through our Law Enforcement Request Form. Include a valid official email address, your name and position, a link to the content, and the legal basis for removal. We process these requests on a case-by-case basis in our sole and absolute discretion. Such requests will be forwarded to our content removal and legal teams for evaluation.
3. Available Account Information: Our Privacy Policy details our data collection and retention practices. Some information, like usernames and public posts, is readily accessible. Non-public information, such as registration details and private messages, may be available with formal legal process. Importantly, users control all stored profile content and private messages, so profile content and private messages may be unavailable if they are deleted by the user, prior to our processing of a valid law enforcement request. Some profile content cannot be preserved in real time without suspending an account. Account suspension is in the sole discretion of PlayHouse.
4. Preservation Requests: In appropriate legal circumstances, we accept temporary, informal preservation requests for relevant evidence in legal proceedings or investigations. Submit these requests through our Law Enforcement Request Form, providing the preservation period, a description of the information to be preserved and its relation to your investigation, and relevant user identifiers. We cannot process overly broad, vague, or untimely preservation requests. For any preservation request exceeding a ninety (90) day preservation period, we may require formal legal process. In appropriate circumstances we may agree to extend the preservation period upon request from a law enforcement agency. Any request to extend the preservation period should be submitted as a separate request.
5. Requests for Non-Public Account Information: These requests require formal legal process, such as a subpoena, production order, judicial authorization, search warrant, court order, or other valid legal process, or in response to a valid emergency request, as described below. The type of legal process required depends on the categories of user data requested, and applicable law. Submit them through our Law Enforcement Request Form, including the response deadline, a description of the information to be disclosed and its relation to your investigation, and relevant user identifiers. We cannot process overly broad or vague requests for non-public account information. Further, we may refuse requests that seek only stored profile content that is readily accessible to law enforcement by viewing and/or subscribing to the user’s profile, absent special circumstances.
6. Emergency Requests: In certain emergency situations determined by us on a case-by-case basis in our sole and absolute discretion, we may grant a law enforcement request for non-public account information without formal legal process if we are provided with a good faith basis to conclude that there is an imminent threat of death or serious physical injury to a person. Responses may be limited to any information necessary to prevent that harm. Submit these requests through our Law Enforcement Request Form, providing the response deadline, the nature of the emergency (e.g., assault, kidnapping, trafficking, etc.), the identity of the person who is in danger of death or serious bodily harm, a description of the harm to be avoided, a description of the information to be disclosed and a how that information is necessary to avoid harm, any pertinent posts or messages, and relevant user identifiers. We cannot process overly broad, vague, or routine inquiries as emergency requests.
7. Cost Reimbursement: We may seek reimbursement for costs associated with preservation and information requests, as permitted by law.
8. Responses: We strive to process routine requests within 14 days. Response times may vary depending on the request's complexity and the volume of requests. Please avoid submitting multiple follow up requests as doing so may delay the total response time. We only provide responsive records in electronic format that may be viewed using typical office software, unless otherwise agreed to by us.
9. Records Affidavits and Certifications: We can provide affidavits or certifications for records, depending on your jurisdiction.
10. Disclosure of Requests: We do not disclose law enforcement requests to users.
11. Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs): We promptly respond to requests made through a mutual legal assistance treaty ("MLAT") or letters rogatory, upon proper service of process.
12. English Language: Please submit all requests in English or with an official English translation. Requests submitted in foreign languages or using foreign characters may be delayed or refused, in our discretion.
13. No Waiver: Our cooperation with law enforcement does not waive any legal objections, including the lack of personal jurisdiction or defective service of process. Law enforcement agencies that do not submit legal requests through our Law Enforcement Request Form should anticipate longer response times.