Yahoo requires non-governmental organizations (e.g., private civil parties) requesting User Data to follow applicable legal process (e.g., obtain a valid subpoena or court order) before disclosing User Data. Yahoo does not respond to requests for user data from nongovernmental organizations unless justified by valid legal process. We know that it can be difficult to get the information you need from Internet services and other online content providers. If you need help with this, please let us know through our Support and Training Center. We can answer your questions about submitting a legal request and help you decipher the results. Federal law (see 18 U.S.C. Section 2706) requires law enforcement agencies to reimburse vendors such as Yahoo! for costs incurred in responding to subpoena requests, court orders, or search warrants. Yahoo! generally requires a refund when responding to legal proceedings, except in cases where children are abducted or exploited when an exception is made to this policy. When we receive valid legal process from non-governmental organizations, we carefully review and interpret such requests to produce as little data as is necessary to respond to the request. Unless prohibited by law, it is our policy to explicitly notify our users of third-party requests for their information prior to disclosure, thereby giving them the opportunity to challenge requests for their information.
Globally, Yahoo may disclose User Data in response to valid legal process (e.g., subpoena, court order, or search warrant) issued by a government agency. We carefully review all government requests to determine the appropriate scope of data to be provided and interpret requests narrowly to produce the least amount of data necessary to meet the request. We have already objected to processing and will continue to do so if it is too broad or incompatible with applicable law. We may voluntarily disclose user data in the rare cases where we conclude that prompt disclosure is necessary to prevent an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to any person, to the extent permitted by law. This means that Yahoo has a legal process (for example, has received a subpoena or search warrant) asking us to disclose information about your account. We sent you the notification because we respect your rights and privacy (and those of all users). Our policy is to explicitly inform users of third-party requests for their information prior to disclosure, thereby giving users the opportunity to dispute the request. In some cases, we may be prohibited by law from providing such notice and, in exceptional circumstances (for example, imminent danger to life), we may choose not to provide notice. These email notifications are designed to provide transparency that allows you, as a user, to dispute a data request. Therefore, a communication from Yahoo or one of our brands will never ask for your personal information or require you to sign up to receive more information. If you`ve received an email notification from Yahoo asking for this information, it`s probably a scam. Do not provide the requested information.
Instead, report it to us or report it as a phishing scam. The legal process specifically identifies the user account that is the subject of the request by user ID, email address, nickname, or other appropriate identifier. This helps us identify the specific Yahoo account that is the subject of the request. Requests to identify users by their real name or IP address may be denied. Yahoo! will not be able to search for and create deleted material, such as emails, unless a request is received within 24 hours of deletion and is expressly requested by due process of law. The ISP List is a database of internet service providers and other online content providers that will help you get the information you need for your case. For each ISP listed, you will find the legal contact information and instructions needed to serve subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants. As with requests through a valid legal process, we carefully review and determine the appropriate scope of data to be provided and carefully interpret all requests in order to produce the least amount of data necessary to satisfy them. In addition, Yahoo will only disclose information in circumstances where there is a legal basis, i.e., to comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal process, or government requests. For example, under U.S. law, we are required to report identified or suspected images that exploit children to the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
In cases where a request is made and no legal basis is provided, Yahoo will only respond if required by a court order. Dramatically reduce your trial time and save thousands of dollars by hiring Rexxfield`s global team of digital litigation support investigators to support your legal team. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act («ECPA») governs how U.S. government agencies can use legal process to request user data from companies like Yahoo. We comply with ECPA when responding to our users` requests for data from U.S. government agencies or foreign governments that receive U.S. legal proceedings through diplomatic processes. We require compliance with the requirements of 18 U.S.C. § 2703 regarding disclosure of basic subscriber information, content, and other customer records. All legal proceedings submitted to us must be valid and comply with the substantive and procedural requirements applicable for the issuance of such proceedings.
Effective immediately, Yahoo will notify Subscriber of receipt of legal process, unless (1) prevented by law (e.g., a court order) or (2) there are «extraordinary circumstances.» Yahoo may have had data that responded to the government`s request for data, but due to a defect or other problem with the government`s data request, no data was created (for example, the request only sought data that could not be legally obtained with the legal procedure provided).