Law Enforcement Procedures

Bay Tides is committed to protecting the privacy and anonymity of individuals who use the Bay Tides Secure Tipline. We publish this page to be transparent about how we handle requests from law enforcement agencies and other government bodies.

This document outlines our procedures for receiving, evaluating, and responding to legal requests for information. It is intended for both law enforcement personnel and Tipline users who want to understand how their information is protected.

Bay Tides is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental organization. We are not a law enforcement agency, government body, or regulated entity with mandatory reporting obligations (except as required by generally applicable law).

Bay Tides requires valid legal process before disclosing any information related to the Tipline. We do not honor informal requests, verbal requests, or requests that lack proper legal authority.

The types of legal process we recognize include:

• Subpoena — A valid subpoena issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or authorized government body
• Court order — An order issued by a judge under applicable legal standards
• Search warrant — A warrant issued by a judge upon a showing of probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and describing with particularity the information to be disclosed

All legal process must:

• Be issued by a court or agency with proper jurisdiction
• Identify the specific information sought with particularity
• Be properly served on Bay Tides
• Comply with all applicable legal requirements

Bay Tides will challenge or seek to narrow any request that is overly broad, legally deficient, or appears to be a fishing expedition.

The Tipline is designed with data minimization as a core principle. As a result, the information Bay Tides can provide in response to valid legal process is limited to:

• The text content of a specific submission (if still retained)
• Files or documents attached to a specific submission (if still retained)
• Messages exchanged through the platform's anonymous messaging system (if still retained)
• The date and time a submission was received

All of the above is information that the submitter voluntarily provided. We do not possess any additional information beyond what was submitted.

Due to the privacy-by-design architecture of the Tipline, Bay Tides does not possess and cannot provide the following, regardless of the legal process presented:

• IP addresses — Not logged or stored at any point
• User identities — The platform is anonymous; we do not require or collect names, email addresses, or other identifying information
• Browser or device information — No fingerprinting, no user agent logging
• Connection metadata — No timestamps of connections (only submission timestamps), no session data
• Geolocation data — Not collected in any form
• Cookie or tracking data — No cookies are set or used
• Historical access logs — No access logs are maintained

This is not a matter of policy — it is a technical limitation. The Tipline's architecture is specifically designed to not collect this information. We cannot disclose data that does not exist.

Bay Tides is committed to notifying affected Tipline users when we receive legal process seeking their information:

• When permitted: We will attempt to notify the affected submitter through the platform's messaging system before disclosing any information, unless prohibited by law or court order
• When prohibited: If a court order or law prohibits us from providing advance notification (a "gag order"), we will comply with the prohibition but will challenge it when we believe such a challenge is appropriate
• After expiration: If a non-disclosure requirement expires, we will promptly notify the affected user

Note that due to the anonymous nature of the Tipline, notification is only possible through the platform's messaging system. If a user does not check their submission using their receipt code, they may not receive our notification.

Law enforcement requests for information must be submitted in writing and include the following:

• The requesting agency's name and contact information
• The name, badge number, and contact information of the requesting officer
• A valid legal instrument (subpoena, court order, or warrant)
• A specific description of the information sought
• The legal basis for the request
• The case number or investigation reference

Requests should be directed to Bay Tides through our contact page , marked as a law enforcement inquiry. We will acknowledge receipt and provide a response within the timeframe required by the applicable legal process.

Note: Bay Tides may consult with legal counsel before responding to any law enforcement request.

In situations involving imminent danger to life or serious physical harm , Bay Tides will work in good faith with law enforcement agencies to address the emergency.

Emergency requests must:

• Describe the specific nature of the emergency and the imminent threat
• Explain why the information sought is necessary to address the emergency
• Be made by a sworn law enforcement officer
• Be followed by proper legal process within a reasonable timeframe

Even in emergency situations, Bay Tides can only provide information that we actually possess. As described in Sections 3 and 4, our data collection is minimal by design.

Bay Tides is committed to transparency about law enforcement interactions with the Tipline. To that end:

• We will publish periodic transparency reports disclosing the number and type of law enforcement requests received, to the extent permitted by law
• Reports will include aggregate data such as: number of requests received, number of requests complied with, number of requests challenged, and types of legal process received
• Transparency reports will not include information that could identify specific submitters or compromise ongoing investigations

As of the effective date of this document, Bay Tides has received zero law enforcement requests for Tipline data.

Law enforcement agencies should direct all inquiries to Bay Tides through:

• Our contact page: baytides.org/contact (mark as "Law Enforcement Inquiry")

For general questions about this document from Tipline users or members of the public, you may also reach us through the contact page.