Law Enforcement Guidelines
LighChat Law Enforcement Guidelines
Last updated: 2026-08-03 Version: 1 Audience: law enforcement and government agencies.
These guidelines explain how KDS Consulting Inc ("LighChat") handles requests for user data and for content removal. They are informational and do not constitute a waiver of any right or objection, or consent to any jurisdiction.
1. Who we are
KDS Consulting Inc, 1730 S Federal Hwy, Suite 160, Delray Beach, FL 33483, United States. LighChat is a U.S.-based communications provider. We evaluate all requests under U.S. law, including the Stored Communications Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 2701–2712), and, where applicable, under the GDPR and other laws that bind us.
2. How to submit a request
- Email: legal@lighchat.online with the subject "Law Enforcement Request", from an official government email domain, with the signed request attached as a PDF.
- Postal: Legal Department, KDS Consulting Inc, 1730 S Federal Hwy, Suite 160, Delray Beach, FL 33483, USA.
Please include: the issuing authority and case number; the legal basis; the precise identifiers concerned (account email, phone number, username or user ID); the exact data categories and time period sought; the requesting officer's name, title, agency, email and telephone number; and any deadline.
Requests that are overbroad, vague or unsupported by legal process will be rejected or narrowed. We acknowledge receipt within 5 business days.
3. Legal process we require
| Data category | Minimum process (U.S.) |
|---|---|
| Basic subscriber information (account email, phone if verified, registration date, last activity date) | Valid subpoena |
| Non-content records (login records, device information, IP-derived location where retained) | Court order under 18 U.S.C. § 2703(d) |
| Stored content (messages, media, files) | Search warrant issued on probable cause |
| Real-time interception | Wiretap order under 18 U.S.C. § 2518 — see the limits in Section 5 |
Non-U.S. authorities should proceed through a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, letters rogatory, or another recognised mechanism. We may voluntarily respond to a foreign request only where doing so is lawful under U.S. law.
4. Emergency requests
In an emergency involving a danger of death or serious physical injury to a person, submit an emergency request to legal@lighchat.online with the subject "EMERGENCY DISCLOSURE REQUEST", describing the nature of the emergency, the person at risk and the specific data needed to address it. We review such requests immediately and may disclose information voluntarily under 18 U.S.C. § 2702(b)(8)/(c)(4) where we believe in good faith that an emergency exists.
5. What we cannot provide
- End-to-end encrypted content. Where E2EE is enabled, we hold only ciphertext; private keys never leave users' devices. We cannot decrypt this content, and we cannot be compelled to produce what we do not have.
- Data already deleted under our retention schedule (Privacy Policy, Section 7).
- Backdoors. We do not and will not build any mechanism to weaken or bypass encryption.
6. Preservation requests
We honour valid preservation requests under 18 U.S.C. § 2703(f) for 90 days, renewable once for a further 90 days. Preservation does not mean disclosure: a preserved record is produced only against appropriate legal process.
7. Notice to users
Our policy is to notify users of requests for their data before disclosure, so that they may seek to protect their rights, unless we are prohibited from doing so by law or court order, or where we believe in good faith that notice would create a risk of injury or death, of destruction of evidence, or that the case involves child sexual exploitation.
Where a non-disclosure order is time-limited, we notify the user when it lapses.
8. Child safety
We report apparent child sexual abuse material to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) as required by 18 U.S.C. § 2258A. NCMEC referrals do not require legal process.
9. Transparency
The number and type of government requests received, and our responses, are published in our annual transparency report (see the Content Moderation Policy, Section 6).
10. Costs and authentication
We may seek reimbursement of costs of production as permitted by 18 U.S.C. § 2706. We do not provide records certification or testimony except under a valid court order, and we may require verification of the requester's identity before responding.