SoundCloud
User Information Requests
Law Enforcement Guidelines
Introduction
This guide is for law enforcement authorities seeking information about SoundCloud users and accounts in the course of criminal investigations. It is also intended as a reference for SoundCloud users who are interested in finding out more about our policies and processes for handling law enforcement requests.
Information relating to the request for removal of content from our platform can be found here. General information about our terms and policies is available in our Privacy Policy, Terms of Use and Community Guidelines.
If you are not a law enforcement official and have a request for our team, you can contact us via our reporting center.
Index
Information stored by SoundCloud
Submitting a data disclosure request
What is SoundCloud?
SoundCloud is an audio hosting service that allows users to create, post and share sounds anywhere on the web.
Content uploaded by users to our platform can be shared to third party services (e.g. Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter) or embedded on an external website, using our embedded player.
Individuals can access our platform both on computers and via most Android and iPhone devices via our mobile app. You do not need to have an account to access content hosted on SoundCloud.
In order to avail of our hosting services, individuals must have a registered account. We offer a variety of account types which provide different features, tools and services. You can find out more about our account options here. More information about our platform & company is available here.
Our guiding principles
We believe in respecting both our users’ rights and the laws which govern our company’s operations. When it comes to processing information requests related to our users, we follow the below principles.
Jurisdiction
We will comply with valid requests for user information received from law enforcement, in accordance with the terms outlined in this guide and the applicable legal process.
We are based in Berlin, Germany and will therefore process all disclosure requests pursuant to our Privacy Policy and the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Specificity
We require that all requests be related to specific accounts, implicated in specific investigations undertaken by law enforcement. We reserve the right to reject requests which are overly broad or which lack details regarding the relationship between the requested information and how it relates to an ongoing investigation.
User notice
We respect our users’ rights and privacy. Our policy is to notify users when we disclose their information in all cases, unless we are expressly requested to not disclose by the competent authority. Our notice to users will be in writing and will include a copy of the original document(s) requesting their information. Additionally, if the request relates to a user who is in violation of our Terms of Use, we reserve the right to prevent further abuse of our services, including notifying the user regarding their misconduct.
In exceptional circumstances, we may elect to not provide user notice e.g. in the case of an emergency disclosure request.
Information stored by SoundCloud
Some information we store is collected automatically, while other information is entered by the user, at their discretion. While we store the information we are provided, we cannot always guarantee its accuracy or if it relates to a real person. For example, a user may have created a fake profile, or provided us with inaccurate information. We do not require the use of real names, email verification or identity authentication.
Public information
Most account information is public on SoundCloud, which means that anyone can see it. A SoundCloud profile may contain: a profile photo, a display name, uploaded tracks, playlists (i.e. a collection of tracks, organized by the user) etc.
Additionally, a user has the option to include their “real name”, location, URLs and a short description about their account in their “bio” section, just underneath their profile image. You do not need a SoundCloud account in order to view information or content which is posted publicly.
Non-public information
Information not publicly visible, relating to registered users on our platform may include, but is not limited to:
- Email address(es) associated with the account
- IP address at the time of account creation
- IP address of last access to SoundCloud
- Month and year of birth
Submitting a data disclosure request
For German authorities
We can only disclose requested information to a competent authority, when we are obliged to do so by applicable law.
For United States authorities
If you are seeking information about a US based account, we will respond to your request should it be made properly following the directions below. If you are seeking information about an account based anywhere else, you will need to go through German authorities to obtain the necessary data.
For UK authorities
If you are seeking information on an EU based account, we may respond to your request should it be made properly following the directions below.
For all other foreign law enforcement authorities
We can only respond to information requests filed by German authorities. Therefore, we must request that all international law enforcement authorities follow the relevant cross border assistance procedure. General guidance on the process can be found here.
How to submit your request
For German authorities
Your request must be made on law enforcement letterhead, signed by the requesting agent. This can be sent via email, fax or post. Please direct your request to SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG using the contact details provided at the bottom of this guide. Please note that we will only review and respond to requests from law enforcement officials. All requests for user information must include all of the following information:
- Requesting agency and law enforcement agent name
- The profile URL of the SoundCloud account in question (e.g. soundcloud.com/soundcloud)
- Details about the specific information being requested. Please ensure that the information you require is not available on the public profile of the specified account
- Legal grounds for data disclosure request
- The reason for your investigations and details about how the requested data relates to your investigation
- An official, agency-issued email address (e.g. name@agency.de) so that we can verify your identity and get back in touch with you
For United States authorities
Your request must be accompanied by a valid subpoena, search warrant, or court order. This can be sent via email, fax or post. Please direct your request to SoundCloud Inc. using the contact details provided at the bottom of this guide. Please note that we will only review and respond to requests from law enforcement officials or parties involved in ongoing criminal matters. All requests for user information must include all of the following information:
- Requesting agency and law enforcement agent name
- The profile URL of the SoundCloud account in question (e.g. soundcloud.com/soundcloud)
- Details about the specific information being requested. Please ensure that the information you require is not available on the public profile of the specified account
- Legal grounds for data disclosure request
- The reason for your investigations and details about how the requested data relates to your investigation
- A valid email address so that we can verify your identity and get back in touch with you. If you are a law enforcement official, you must include a valid, agency issued email address with your request.
For UK authorities
Your request must be made on law enforcement letterhead, signed by the requesting agent. This can be sent via email, fax or post. Please direct your request to SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG using the contact details provided at the bottom of this guide. Please note that we will only review or respond to requests from law enforcement officials or valid email addresses. All requests for user information must include all of the following information:
- Requesting agency and law enforcement agent name
- The profile URL of the SoundCloud account in question (e.g. soundcloud.com/soundcloud)
- Details about the specific information being requested. Please ensure that the information you require is not available on the public profile of the specified account
- Legal grounds for data disclosure request
- The reason for your investigations and details about how the requested data relates to your investigation
- An official, agency-issued email address (e.g. name@agency.xx) so that we can verify your identity and get back in touch with you
Production of records
Unless otherwise requested, we will provide records in electronic format (i.e. PDF files), which can be opened with the majority of word processing software.
Emergency disclosure requests
In line with our Privacy Policy, we may disclose user information in response to a valid emergency disclosure request. If you are a law enforcement official and your request relates to an investigation involving the imminent danger of death or serious harm to a person, that we may have information to prevent, law enforcement agencies can submit an emergency disclosure request. International law enforcement authorities may submit requests for emergency disclosure. SoundCloud users aware of an emergency situation should contact local law enforcement officials for assistance.
How to submit an emergency disclosure request
You must submit an emergency request via email, with the subject line EMERGENCY DISCLOSURE REQUEST. These requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and must include all of the following information:
- Identity of the individual in imminent danger
- Nature of the emergency
- SoundCloud profile URL(s) of the account(s) containing information which are relevant to the emergency
- Details of the specific information requested and how it is relevant to the emergency
- Link(s) to any content which may provide further details or context to support your request
Assisting a SoundCloud user
If you are assisting a SoundCloud user with an investigation, and need to obtain a copy of their non-public SoundCloud account information, please ask the user to contact us directly (contact details below). We can then assist the individual with obtaining the required information.
Contact details
SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG
Rheinsbergerstr. 76/77
10115 Berlin
Germany
ATTN: Trust & Safety Team
Email: legal@soundcloud.com
Fax: 0049-30-2241495 (ATTN: Trust & Safety Team)
Non-law enforcement requests for assistance must be submitted via our reporting center.
SoundCloud Inc.
71 5th Ave, 3rd Floor
New York, New York 10003
ATTN: Business & Legal Affairs Team
Email: legal@soundcloud.com
Fax: 0049-30-2241495 (ATTN: Business & Legal Affairs Team)
Non-law enforcement requests for assistance must be submitted via our reporting center.
Last Amended: December 30, 2020