Preservation letter
Definition
A formal written request to a cloud provider asking it to preserve a specific account's data for a defined period, typically 90 days renewable once, while full legal process is obtained. Providers in many countries honour voluntary preservation requests without requiring a court order, but disclosure still requires appropriate legal process.
Related terms
- CLOUD Act
- The Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act (US, 2018). Clarifies that US service providers must comply with valid US legal process...
- Google Legal Investigations Support
- Google's process for handling law enforcement requests, documented at its transparency report portal. Google distinguishes between emergency disclosure requests (no legal process...
- iCloud backup
- A daily encrypted snapshot of an iPhone or iPad stored in Apple's cloud. Includes app data the developer marks for backup, device...
- MLAT (Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty)
- A bilateral or multilateral treaty framework through which countries agree to provide legal cooperation in criminal investigations, including compelling disclosure of evidence...
- Stored Communications Act (SCA)
- Part of the US Electronic Communications Privacy Act (18 U.S.C. 2701-2712) that governs government access to stored electronic communications and data. It...
Explained in
- Cloud Account ForensicsA formal written request to a cloud provider asking it to preserve a specific account's data for a defined period, typically 90 days renewable once, while full...