These operational guidelines are for law enforcement officials seeking Instagram account records. This information may change at any time.

We disclose account records solely in accordance with our terms of service and applicable law, including the federal Stored Communications Act (“SCA”), 18 U.S.C. Sections 2701-2712. Under the SCA:

It is important to note that some information we store is collected automatically, while other information is provided by the user. We do not require email or phone verification, and we do not require people to use real names or identities on Instagram.

For additional information about Instagram, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

We retain different types of information for different time periods. Given the volume of real-time content on Instagram, some information may only be stored for a short period of time. We do not retain data for law enforcement purposes unless we receive a legally valid preservation request.

All requests must be made with particularity, including the specific data categories requested and date limitations for the request, as well as:

In responding to a matter involving imminent harm to a child or risk of death or serious physical injury to any person and requiring disclosure of information without delay, a law enforcement official may submit a request through the Law Enforcement Online Request System at facebook.com/records.

Important note: We will not review or respond to messages sent to this email address by non-law enforcement officials. Users aware of an emergency situation should immediately and directly contact local law enforcement officials.

We report all apparent instances of child sexual exploitation appearing on our site from anywhere in the world to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), in accordance with applicable law including content drawn to our attention by government requests. NCMEC refers matters to law enforcement authorities from around the world in order to help victims.

If a request relates to a child exploitation or safety matter, please specify those circumstances (and include relevant NCMEC report identifiers) in the request to ensure that we are able to address these matters expeditiously and effectively.

We disclose account records solely in accordance with applicable terms of service and applicable law. A Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty request or letter rogatory may be required to compel the disclosure of the contents of an account. Further information can be found in our Privacy Policy.

We will take steps to preserve account records in connection with official criminal investigations for 90 days pending our receipt of formal legal process. You may expeditiously submit formal preservation requests through the Law Enforcement Online Request System at facebook.com/records, or by email, or mail as indicated below.

If law enforcement seeks information about an Instagram user who has provided consent for the official to access or obtain the user’s account information, the user should be directed to obtain that information on their own from their account. For account content, such as messages, photos and videos, users can access Instagram’s "Download Data" feature from their Privacy and Security settings.

Our policy is to notify people who use our service of requests for their information prior to disclosure unless we are prohibited by law from doing so or in exceptional circumstances, such as child exploitation cases, emergencies or when notice would be counterproductive. We will provide delayed notice upon expiration of a specific non-disclosure period in a court order and where we have a good faith belief that exceptional circumstances no longer exist, and we are not otherwise prohibited by law from doing so. Law enforcement officials who believe that notification would jeopardize an investigation should obtain an appropriate court order or other appropriate process establishing that notice is prohibited. If your data request draws attention to an ongoing violation of our terms of use, we will take action to prevent further abuse, including actions that may notify the user that we are aware of their misconduct.

We are unable to provide expert testimony. Any records produced are self-authenticating and do not require the testimony of records custodians. If a special form of certification is required, please attach it to your records request.

We may seek reimbursement for costs in responding to requests for information as provided by law. Unusual or burdensome requests may result in added costs that we may recover. We may waive fees in matters pertaining to potential harm to children, us or our users, and emergency requests.

Online:

Law enforcement officials may use the Law Enforcement Online Request System for the submission, tracking and processing of requests. A government-issued email address is required to access the Law Enforcement Online Request System.

Please note:

For U.S. Law Enforcement:

Law enforcement officials seeking Instagram account records must address their request to:
Meta Platforms, Inc.,
1 Meta Way
Menlo Park, CA 94025

For Law Enforcement outside of the U.S.:

Please note that for users of the Instagram services in the European region (excluding the United Kingdom), the service provider and data controller is Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. If your request is for Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd., it must be addressed to:
Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd.,
Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland

For Instagram users in countries outside of the European region, the service provider is Meta Platforms, Inc., please ensure that any requests for Instagram or Facebook user data are correctly addressed to:
Meta Platforms, Inc.
1 Meta Way
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Mail:

Law enforcement officials who do not submit requests through the Law Enforcement Online Request System should expect longer response times.