Law Enforcement Requests & Legal Process Policy

Introduction

This Law Enforcement Requests & Legal Process Policy explains how NovaTech Labs Ltd ("NOVA", "we", "us", or "our") responds to requests from law enforcement agencies, government authorities, courts and other authorised public bodies for information relating to NOVA and its users.

NOVA is committed to protecting the privacy and safety of its users while complying with applicable laws and valid legal obligations.

This policy is intended to provide transparency about the circumstances in which NOVA may disclose information to law enforcement or other competent authorities and the process by which such requests should be submitted.

This policy applies to NOVA's websites, mobile applications and related services (collectively, the "Services").

Our General Approach

NOVA does not provide unrestricted access to user accounts, private messages or user information to law enforcement agencies.

We review requests for information and respond in accordance with applicable law.

Where legally required, NOVA may disclose information to law enforcement or other competent authorities.

Where disclosure is not legally required, NOVA may disclose information where we reasonably believe that disclosure is necessary or appropriate to:

Comply with a valid legal obligation;
Protect the safety of a person;
Prevent serious harm;
Investigate suspected unlawful activity;
Protect NOVA, its users or the public;
Protect the security and integrity of our Services.

We seek to ensure that requests are appropriately authorised and sufficiently specific before disclosing information.

Who May Submit a Request

Requests should be submitted by authorised representatives of:

Police forces;
Law enforcement agencies;
Courts;
Prosecuting authorities;
Government agencies;
Regulatory authorities;
Other competent public authorities with lawful authority to request information.

Requests from private individuals, private investigators or other third parties should not be submitted through the law-enforcement channel.

Private parties seeking information should use any applicable legal process or contact NOVA through our general legal contact channel.

Valid Legal Process

Where required by applicable law, NOVA will generally require appropriate legal process before disclosing user information.

Depending on the circumstances and applicable jurisdiction, this may include:

Court orders;
Warrants;
Production orders;
Statutory information requests;
Other legally valid compulsory processes.

The legal process should clearly identify:

The authority issuing the request;
The legal basis for the request;
The specific information requested;
The relevant NOVA account, user, identifier or other information that allows us to locate the relevant records;
The applicable date or time period;
The required response deadline;
The contact details of the requesting authority.

Requests should be as specific and narrowly tailored as reasonably possible.

Requests From Authorities Outside the United Kingdom

NOVA is a UK-based company.

Authorities outside the United Kingdom should generally use the appropriate international legal process available to them.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include applicable international cooperation mechanisms, mutual legal assistance procedures, or other recognised legal processes.

NOVA will assess requests from foreign authorities in accordance with applicable UK law and any other law that applies to the request.

We may require appropriate additional documentation before responding.

6. Emergency Requests

NOVA recognises that some situations may require urgent action.

In an emergency involving an imminent risk of death or serious physical harm, law enforcement or another authorised authority may contact NOVA through the emergency process described below.

Emergency requests should clearly explain:

The nature of the emergency;
The person or persons believed to be at risk;
Why the risk is imminent;
The information being requested;
Why the requested information is necessary to address the emergency;
The requesting officer's or authority's identity and contact information.

NOVA will assess emergency requests on a case-by-case basis.

Where legally permitted, NOVA may disclose information without the usual legal process where we reasonably believe that doing so is necessary to address an imminent risk of death or serious physical harm.

7. Information NOVA May Hold

Depending on how a user interacts with NOVA, information potentially held by NOVA may include:

Account information;
Profile information;
Registration information;
Contact information;
Community participation information;
User-generated content;
Messages and communications;
Matching or interaction information;
Transaction and subscription information;
Device and technical information;
IP addresses;
Login and authentication information;
Security and fraud-prevention information;
Reports and moderation records.

The precise information available will depend on the account, feature used, retention period and circumstances.

NOVA does not guarantee that a particular category of information exists for every user or account.

8. Content of Private Communications

Where NOVA holds private communications or other user-generated content, we may disclose such information where legally required or where disclosure is otherwise permitted under applicable law.

A request for communications should identify the relevant account and the specific information or time period sought.

NOVA does not provide law enforcement with general or unrestricted access to private communications.

9. Account Preservation Requests

Where legally permitted, NOVA may preserve specified account information or other records in response to an appropriate request while the requesting authority obtains the necessary legal process.

Preservation does not itself constitute disclosure of the preserved information.

Requests should identify:

The account or information to be preserved;
The relevant date range;
The legal basis for preservation;
The requesting authority;
The expected timeframe for obtaining the appropriate legal process.

NOVA cannot guarantee preservation beyond applicable legal or technical retention periods.

10. Data Minimisation and Scope

NOVA seeks to respond only to information that is reasonably relevant to a valid request.

Where appropriate, we may:

Request clarification;
Narrow an overly broad request;
Ask the requesting authority to identify specific accounts or information;
Object to requests that lack appropriate legal authority;
Decline requests that do not satisfy applicable legal requirements.

We do not intend to disclose more information than is reasonably necessary to comply with the applicable legal obligation or protect against a relevant safety risk.

11. User Notification

Where legally permitted, NOVA may notify the affected user when their information is requested by a law enforcement agency or other authority.

However, NOVA may not notify a user where:

Notification is prohibited by law;
The request includes a valid confidentiality or non-disclosure requirement;
Notification could interfere with an investigation;
Notification could create a risk of harm;
Another lawful exception applies.

Where notification is legally permitted, NOVA will consider the circumstances of the request before deciding whether notification is appropriate.

12. Requests for Immediate Disclosure

An emergency request should not be submitted through ordinary customer-support channels if an authorised emergency law-enforcement process is available.

Emergency requests should be clearly identified as "EMERGENCY LAW ENFORCEMENT REQUEST" and explain the immediate risk involved.

NOVA will prioritise genuine emergency requests involving an imminent risk of death or serious physical harm.

Submitting an ordinary request as an emergency does not guarantee expedited disclosure.

13. How to Submit a Law-Enforcement Request

Law enforcement and authorised government authorities should submit requests to:

Law Enforcement Contact:
[INSERT LAW ENFORCEMENT EMAIL ADDRESS]

Emergency Law Enforcement Contact:
[INSERT EMERGENCY CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESS]

Legal Entity:
NovaTech Labs Ltd

Jurisdiction:
United Kingdom

Requests should be submitted by an authorised official using an official government or law-enforcement email address wherever possible.

The request should include sufficient information for NOVA to authenticate the requesting authority and assess the request.

14. Information Required in a Request

To help us process a request efficiently, please include:

Requesting Authority
Name of organisation;
Name and position of requesting officer;
Official email address;
Telephone number;
Relevant reference or case number.
Legal Authority
Type of legal process;
Issuing authority;
Date issued;
Applicable legal provision;
Relevant jurisdiction;
Response deadline.
User or Account Information

Where available:

NOVA username;
Registered email address;
Account identifier;
Profile identifier;
Relevant URL;
Other information that can reasonably identify the account.
Information Requested

Please specify:

The exact information requested;
Relevant date range;
Whether communications or other content are requested;
Any applicable format requirements.

Requests should avoid broad or unspecified requests where more precise information can reasonably be provided.

15. Authentication of Requests

NOVA may take reasonable steps to verify that a request has been submitted by an authorised authority.

We may contact the requesting authority using independently verified contact details where appropriate.

NOVA may decline to act on a request where we cannot reasonably establish its authenticity or legal validity.

16. Requests That Do Not Meet Requirements

NOVA may decline, challenge or request clarification regarding a request where:

The requesting party cannot be authenticated;
The request lacks appropriate legal authority;
The request is unclear;
The request is excessively broad;
The requested information cannot reasonably be identified;
The request conflicts with applicable law;
The request would require NOVA to take action that it is not legally required or permitted to take.

Where appropriate, we may invite the requesting authority to provide additional information or revised legal process.

17. Data Retention

NOVA retains information in accordance with its Privacy Policy, operational requirements, legal obligations and applicable data-protection law.

NOVA does not guarantee that information will be retained indefinitely.

Information may be deleted, anonymised or otherwise disposed of in accordance with applicable retention practices.

Law enforcement authorities should submit preservation requests as soon as reasonably possible where they believe information may otherwise be deleted.

18. Costs

In certain circumstances, NOVA may seek reimbursement for reasonable costs associated with responding to legally valid requests where permitted by applicable law.

Where applicable, NOVA may discuss the scope and anticipated costs with the requesting authority before undertaking substantial work.

19. Confidentiality

NOVA will handle law-enforcement requests appropriately and restrict access to such requests within the organisation where reasonably appropriate.

Information received from law enforcement may be subject to legal restrictions concerning confidentiality and disclosure.

NOVA may maintain internal records of requests and responses for compliance, security, legal and operational purposes.

20. Safety and Serious Harm

NOVA takes threats to the safety of its users seriously.

Where we become aware of information suggesting a credible and serious risk of harm, we may take appropriate action consistent with applicable law.

This may include:

Restricting or suspending an account;
Removing content;
Preserving relevant information;
Contacting appropriate authorities;
Responding to an emergency request;
Taking other reasonable steps to protect users or the public.

21. Fraud and Financial Crime

NOVA may cooperate with appropriate authorities investigating suspected:

Fraud;
Financial exploitation;
Money laundering;
Identity theft;
Payment fraud;
Other financial or economic crime.

NOVA may disclose information where legally required or otherwise permitted under applicable law.

22. Child Safety

NOVA takes child safety seriously.

Where NOVA receives information relating to suspected child exploitation, abuse or other serious child-safety concerns, we may take appropriate action, including:

Restricting or terminating accounts;
Preserving relevant information;
Reporting matters to appropriate authorities where required or permitted;
Responding to valid law-enforcement requests.

We may take immediate action where necessary to protect a child or prevent further harm.

23. Cooperation With Law Enforcement

NOVA seeks to cooperate appropriately with legitimate law-enforcement investigations while respecting user privacy and applicable legal rights.

Cooperation may include responding to valid legal requests, preserving relevant information, providing information where legally required or permitted, and taking appropriate action to protect users and the Services.

NOVA does not provide preferential access to user information simply because a request originates from a law-enforcement agency.

Requests are assessed according to applicable legal requirements and the circumstances of each case.

24. Privacy and Data Protection

Any disclosure of personal information by NOVA will be considered in accordance with applicable data-protection and privacy laws.

For more information about how NOVA collects, uses, stores and protects personal information, please see our Privacy Policy.

Nothing in this policy limits any rights users may have under applicable data-protection legislation.

25. Transparency

NOVA may publish aggregated or anonymised information about law-enforcement requests where appropriate and legally permitted.

Any transparency reporting will be designed to avoid compromising investigations, exposing confidential information or identifying individual users.

26. No Guarantee of Disclosure

The submission of a law-enforcement request does not guarantee that NOVA will disclose information.

NOVA will assess each request according to the applicable legal requirements, the nature of the information requested and the circumstances presented.

27. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect:

Changes to NOVA's Services;
Changes in applicable law;
Regulatory developments;
Changes to our internal processes;
Changes to our safety and security practices.

28. Contact

For general legal enquiries:

NovaTech Labs Ltd
United Kingdom

For emergency law-enforcement requests involving an imminent risk of death or serious physical harm:

Emergency Law Enforcement:
support@novamatches.com

Website:
www.novamatches.com

29. Effective Date

This Law Enforcement Requests & Legal Process Policy is effective from 25 August 2026.