Flickr, Inc. (“Flickr”) is the owner of the online platform Flickr. Flickr, Inc. is a subsidiary of Awes.me, Inc.
These operational guidelines are provided for use by government and law enforcement officials within the United States seeking records about a subscriber of the Flickr platform.
Legal Process
We will search for and disclose data that is specified with particularity in an appropriate form of valid legal process in accordance with applicable law, such as a subpoena, court order, or other valid legal process, as described below:
- A subpoena issued in connection with an official criminal investigation is required to compel the disclosure of available basic subscriber information, as defined in 18 U.S.C. Section 2703(c)(2).
- A court order issued under 18 U.S.C. Section 2703(d) is required to compel the disclosure of certain records or other information pertaining to a subscriber, not including contents of communications, in addition to basic subscriber information.
- A search warrant issued under Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedures or equivalent state warrant upon a showing of probable cause is required to compel the disclosure of the stored contents of any account, which may include the contents of communications, in addition to basic subscriber information and other records or other information pertaining to a subscriber.
International Requests: A Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty request or letter rogatory may be required to compel the disclosure of the contents of an account to government or law enforcement agencies outside of the United States. We will review and respond to properly submitted preservation requests while the MLAT or letters rogatory process is underway.
Preservation Requests
We will take steps to preserve information related to a subscriber pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 2703(f) and in connection with an official criminal investigation for 90 days pending our receipt of a valid preservation request, which may be extended for an additional 90 days by a valid request to extend the preservation. We do not retain data for law enforcement purposes unless we receive a valid preservation request before a subscriber has deleted that content from our service.
Submission of Requests for Subscriber or Account Information
Requests for information may be submitted electronically via email or below.
By Mail: Please confirm all requests via email in case of delays in receiving physical mail.
- Contact Name: Flickr Law Enforcement
- Service Address: 67 E. Evelyn Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94041
All requests must identify the requested records with particularity, including the specific data categories requested and date limitations for the request, as well as include:
- Details associated with the relevant subscriber account, such as:
- User ID
- Username
- Phone number
- Email address
- ImageID
- Name of the issuing authority and agent.
- Email address from a law-enforcement domain.
- Direct contact phone number to the issuing authority or agent.
Please note that Flickr records are self-authenticating pursuant to law and should not require the testimony of a records custodian. If a special form of certification is required, please attach it to your records request.
As provided by law, we may seek reimbursement for costs incurred in responding to unusual or burdensome requests for information. Neither Flickr nor Awes.me provides expert testimony.
Acceptance of legal process or confirmation of receipt of correspondence by any of these means is for convenience and does not waive any objections, including lack of jurisdiction or proper service.
Child Safety
We report all apparent instances of child exploitation appearing on our site from anywhere in the world to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), including content drawn to our attention by government requests. NCMEC coordinates with the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children and law enforcement authorities from around the world. If a request relates to a child exploitation or safety matter, please specify those circumstances (and include relevant NCMEC report identifiers) in the request to ensure that we are able to address these matters expeditiously and effectively.
Emergency Situations
Under 18 U.S.C. §§ 2702(b)(7) and 2702(c)(4) Flickr is permitted, but not required, to voluntarily disclose information, including contents of communications and customer records, to a federal, state, or local governmental entity if Flickr believes in good faith that an emergency involving imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to any person requires such disclosure without delay.
Notice to Subscribers
It is our policy to notify subscribers of requests for their information prior to disclosure unless we are prohibited by law from doing so or in exceptional circumstances, such as child exploitation cases, emergencies or when notice would be counterproductive. Please include the specific duration (e.g. 90 days) of any non-disclosure provision in your request for account information.
Additional Information
We will not respond to correspondence sent by non-law enforcement or government officials to the address listed above or the form below.
Flickr reserves the right to update these guidelines as necessary.