Law Enforcement Guide

Thank you for contacting Sia. The following guidelines are intended for law enforcement authorities seeking information about users of Sia. 

What is Sia? 

Sia is a decentralized storage platform powered by blockchain technology. It is maintained by The Sia Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. The Sia Foundation is not an intermediary between data uploaders and data storers.

Where is The Sia Foundation based? 

The Sia Foundation is based in the United States. 

What types of data does the Sia network retain?

The Sia blockchain verifies contracts and payments. It does not store many of the types of data that traditional networks store. It records:

• Smart contract terms
• • Duration
  • Size
  • Cost
  • Public key and Siacoin address of storage provider
  • Public key and Siacoin address of storage consumer

All data stored on the blockchain is public.

What types of data does the Sia network not retain?

• Personally identifiable information 
• • Names
  • Phone Numbers
  • Emails
  • Credit Card Information
  • Physical Addresses
  • IP Addresses of uploaders
  • Encryption keys
  • File metadata
  • • Name
    • Size
    • Type

How does The Sia Foundation interact with users or user data?

• We do not process payments: Unlike centralized storage services that handle financial transactions, the Sia Foundation is not involved in the flow of funds between renters and hosts. All payments occur peer-to-peer and settle on the Sia blockchain using smart contracts.
• We do not manage user accounts: Traditional user accounts do not exist on the Sia network. Users interact with each other using public key cryptography rather than traditional email, phone numbers, or other identifiers. Users maintain full control over their data and their cryptographic keys with no middle-men.
• We cannot identify users of the Sia network: The Sia Foundation does not have the ability to identify if an individual is using the Sia network by IP address, email, credit card, or any other information that would tie a user to their data.

How long does the Sia network retain data? 

All data the Sia network retains is retained publicly for the life of the network. This data can be viewed here: https://siascan.com.

Will The Sia Foundation produce data in response to a law enforcement request? 

The Sia Foundation complies with all valid legal processes. The Sia Foundation reviews each request in connection with its Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and any other applicable company guidance or policies, as well as any applicable data disclosure laws. If The Sia Foundation determines there is no valid legal basis, or where a request is considered to be inappropriate, Sia will challenge or reject the request. 

The Sia Foundation reserves the right to respond only upon service of valid legal process issued by a U.S. governmental entity or court, or upon receipt of an applicable MLAT request, letter rogatory, or other process for international cooperation. For more information, you may wish to consult the Office of International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Will The Sia Foundation notify users of a law enforcement request for account information? 

No. Because the Sia Foundation cannot identify users of the Sia network, we would not be able to identify the user of the requested data. Therefore, The Sia Foundation cannot provide notice to users. 

Will The Sia Foundation seek reimbursement? 

The Sia Foundation may seek reimbursement for costs associated with information produced pursuant to legal process and as permitted by law (e.g., under 18 U.S.C. § 2706). 

What should legal requests include? 

All legal requests should include:

• Requesting agency name and contact details
• Nature of the investigation
• Type of data requested

All requests should include copies of any legal process which has been issued, such as administrative or grand jury subpoenas or warrants. 

If you are seeking to submit a preservation request, please provide the details of that preservation request to legal@sia.tech. 

How should requests be submitted? 

Please submit communications to legal@sia.tech. All legal process and requests should be submitted from an official government or law enforcement address. Law enforcement agents who are unable to include the legal process in an email may notify us via email of their limitations so that we may coordinate service of process. Acceptance of legal process by any of these means is for convenience and does not waive any objections, including lack of jurisdiction or proper service.

What if I have other questions? 

Please send all legal or law enforcement related questions to legal@sia.tech.