Amazon · AWS Acceptable Use Policy

Law Enforcement Cooperation and Disclosure

Medium severity
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What it is

AWS can share information about you and how you use AWS with police, government agencies, and courts if it believes this is legally required or necessary to protect safety.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

AWS may share your account information, activity logs, content, and usage data with law enforcement agencies without your knowledge, including in response to subpoenas or court orders — this is particularly significant for organizations handling sensitive client data stored on AWS infrastructure.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle Law Enforcement Cooperation and Disclosure and similar clauses.

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

This provision grants AWS broad discretion to disclose user data and activity logs to law enforcement without requiring a court order in all circumstances, which has implications for privacy and due process rights.

View original clause language
We may disclose any information about you or your use of the Services to law enforcement or other government officials if we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to respond to subpoenas, court orders, or legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of AWS, our customers, or others.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision is governed by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA, 18 U.S.C. § 2703), which sets the legal standards for government access to electronic communications and stored data held by third-party providers. The CLOUD Act (2018) governs cross-border law enforcement data requests and is directly relevant to AWS's global infrastructure footprint. GDPR Article 49(1)(d) provides a derogation for transfers to third countries for law enforcement purposes but requires that such transfers meet proportionality requirements. The USA PATRIOT Act (50 U.S.C. § 1861) and FISA Section 702 (50 U.S.C. § 1881a) create broad national security access rights to cloud-stored data. Primary enforcement authorities are DOJ, FBI, and national security agencies. 2)

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC oversees privacy practices and data disclosure policies under Section 5 of the FTC Act, which applies to cloud providers' handling of customer data and disclosures to third parties including law enforcement.
    File a complaint →
  • Hhs Ocr
    For healthcare organizations storing PHI on AWS, law enforcement disclosures must comply with HIPAA 45 CFR § 164.512(f), which HHS OCR enforces.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
AWS Acceptable Use Policy
Entity
Amazon
Document last updated
April 29, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 27, 2026
Last verified
April 27, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-003252
Document ID
CA-D-00028
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
35a0e34b7136e83dd0dca01e14dd192b01d7012211f2617232fe3d1a27218091
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Amazon | Document: AWS Acceptable Use Policy | Record: CA-P-003252
Captured: 2026-04-27 10:50:37 UTC | SHA-256: 35a0e34b7136e83d…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/amazon/aws-acceptable-use-policy/law-enforcement-cooperation-and-disclosure/
Accessed: May 2, 2026
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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