Law Enforcement Guidelines

Last updated: July 16, 2026

Seshat holds people's email archives — some of the most sensitive data there is. We take requests from law enforcement and other government authorities seriously, and we respond to valid legal process while protecting our users' rights. This page explains what we require and what our users can expect.

1. We require valid legal process

We disclose customer information only when compelled by valid, properly served legal process appropriate to the data sought, or where a narrow legal exception applies:

• Basic subscriber information (e.g., name, email address, account creation date, billing records we hold) — at minimum a subpoena or equivalent legal process.
• Non-content records (e.g., log/metadata) — an appropriate court order or equivalent.
• Content of a user's vaulted email — a search warrant issued on probable cause by a court of competent jurisdiction. We do not disclose stored content on a subpoena alone.

We reject requests that are legally insufficient, overbroad, vague, or improperly served, and we ask authorities to narrow requests to what is relevant.

2. Customer Data belongs to our customers

For the email and attachments a customer vaults ("Customer Data"), Seshat acts as a processor — the customer is the data controller. Where lawful and practical, we will direct the requesting authority to seek the data directly from the customer, and we will notify the customer so they can respond, object, or seek to limit the request themselves.

3. We notify affected users

Our policy is to notify the affected user before disclosing their information, so they have an opportunity to challenge the request, unless we are legally prohibited from doing so (for example, by a valid non-disclosure order) or unless there is a genuine emergency involving a risk of death or serious physical harm. Where a non-disclosure order expires, we will notify the user.

4. Emergency requests

In an emergency involving an imminent risk of death or serious physical injury, a law-enforcement official may submit an emergency request. We evaluate each on its facts and may voluntarily disclose the limited information necessary to address the emergency, consistent with applicable law.

5. Preservation

We will honor a valid preservation request to preserve a specified account's records for up to 90 days, extendable once on a renewed request, pending service of valid legal process.

6. What we do not do

• We do not provide any government with bulk access, a backdoor, or a master key to user data.
• We cannot decrypt content a user has sealed with a passphrase only they hold.
• We do not voluntarily disclose user content absent valid legal process or a qualifying emergency.

7. Transparency

We intend to publish a periodic transparency report summarizing the volume and types of government requests we receive and how we respond, once we have meaningful data to report.

8. How to serve legal process

Please include the relevant account email address and a specific description of the information sought, and allow reasonable time for review. Serving these guidelines does not waive any objection we may raise, and nothing here constitutes consent to jurisdiction or acceptance of service by these means where formal service is required by law.