How we evaluate and respond to a government or law-enforcement request for data.
Last updated: 8 August 2026
Effective Date: 8 August 2026
Last Updated: 8 August 2026
This Policy expands on the "Government Requests and Legal Compliance" clause of the Terms and Conditions' Data Handling Terms module and the "Evidence Preservation and Law-Enforcement Cooperation" clause of the User-Generated Content Terms module. It does not create new obligations beyond those already established there; it explains, in more detail, how we approach a request from a government or law-enforcement authority for User data.
This Policy explains how Onyatrips evaluates and responds to requests from government, law-enforcement, regulatory, or judicial authorities (collectively, "Legal Requests") for information about our Users, and how we handle requests to preserve data pending a formal Legal Request. It is addressed primarily to law-enforcement and government requesters, and to Users who want to understand our approach.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Preservation request | A request to preserve specified account data pending a follow-up formal legal process, without immediate disclosure. |
| Subpoena / summons | Typically used to compel basic subscriber information (e.g., name, email, registration details). |
| Court order | An order issued by a court compelling disclosure of specified data. |
| Search warrant | Typically required, under Indian and comparable law, to compel disclosure of content data (such as messages), reflecting a higher evidentiary threshold than a subpoena. |
| Production order | An order compelling production of specified records. |
| Emergency disclosure request | A request made without formal legal process, based on a claim of imminent threat to life or serious bodily harm — see Section 8. |
Depending on what is actually stored (see the Privacy Policy for the authoritative description of what we collect), a valid Legal Request may reach:
We do not maintain, and cannot produce, data we do not collect — for example, we do not currently collect precise device GPS location (see the Privacy Policy), so we cannot produce location-tracking data we do not have.
We evaluate every Legal Request for legal sufficiency before acting on it. We generally expect a Legal Request to: be issued by a government or law-enforcement authority with jurisdiction over Onyatrips or the relevant data; be in writing, on official letterhead or through an official government channel; identify the specific User, account, or data sought with reasonable particularity; cite the legal authority under which it is issued (e.g., the specific statutory provision, court order, or warrant); and be properly signed or authenticated by the issuing authority or officer, consistent with the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and the DPDP Act.
We may decline to comply with, or seek to narrow, a Legal Request that: lacks proper legal basis or issuing authority; is overly broad, vague, or not reasonably tailored to a specific investigation; appears to be procedurally defective; or would require us to violate applicable law (including data protection law) in another jurisdiction. Declining or narrowing a request in a given case is not a representation that we will do so in every similar case, and does not create any obligation on our part beyond what is legally required.
Onyatrips is incorporated and operates primarily in India, and Indian legal process is the primary channel through which we expect to receive Legal Requests. Where a request originates from outside India, we assess it in light of applicable Indian law, any relevant mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) framework, and, where applicable, requirements under the data protection or blocking-request laws of the jurisdiction in which the requesting authority is based. We do not currently have a published position on which specific cross-border legal mechanisms we recognize as sufficient absent a formal MLAT or equivalent channel, and treat this as requiring case-by-case legal review.
Where a law-enforcement authority makes a valid preservation request, we may preserve the specified account data for a reasonable period pending receipt of the compulsory legal process needed to obtain disclosure, consistent with the "Evidence Preservation and Law-Enforcement Cooperation" clause of the Terms and Conditions. We do not currently publish a fixed default preservation period; the period is assessed case by case consistent with applicable Indian and international practice.
Where a government or law-enforcement authority represents, in good faith, that there is an emergency involving imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to a person, and that the requested data may help prevent that harm, we may disclose the minimum data reasonably necessary to address the emergency, without awaiting formal legal process, consistent with our discretion under the Terms and Conditions. We assess emergency claims on their face and reserve the right to request further verification where circumstances allow.
Where we determine that disclosure is appropriate, we aim to disclose only the specific data responsive to the request, rather than a User's entire account history, unless the request's scope, and its legal basis, genuinely extends further.
We do not promise that a User will always be notified when we receive or respond to a Legal Request concerning their account. Where legally permitted, and where doing so would not endanger an investigation, obstruct justice, create a risk of harm to any person, or violate a legal prohibition on disclosure (such as a court-ordered non-disclosure or "gag" order accompanying certain requests), we may, at our discretion, notify the affected User that a request has been received. We do not commit to prior notification before complying with a valid, legally binding request, particularly where the requesting authority has certified that notice would compromise an investigation.
We do not currently publish a periodic transparency report detailing the volume and nature of Legal Requests received and our response rates. We may consider introducing one as the Platform and its request volume grow.
We aim to log and retain records of Legal Requests received and our responses to them, for accountability and audit purposes, consistent with applicable law. Legal Requests are reviewed by, or under instruction from, appropriately qualified personnel before we act on them; we do not automatically comply with every request received without review.
We are not obligated to, and may decline to, comply with a request that does not meet the legal-validity requirements in Section 4, that we believe is being used to harass or improperly target a User, or that would require us to act unlawfully. Declining a request may itself be subject to legal challenge by the requesting authority through the appropriate judicial process, which we would then respond to accordingly.
Legal disclosure of Personal Data is governed in the first instance by the Privacy Policy and the Data Handling Terms module of the Terms and Conditions. Content-specific disclosure (in connection with User-Generated Content) is additionally governed by the "Evidence Preservation and Law-Enforcement Cooperation" clause of the User-Generated Content Terms module. This Policy does not expand the categories of data we may disclose beyond what those documents already establish — it explains process.
We do not currently operate a dedicated law-enforcement request portal or a separate legal-process mailing address; requests should be sent to the address above until a dedicated channel is established.
We may update this Policy as our processes mature and as applicable law evolves. Material changes will be reflected in an updated "Last Updated" date above.
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