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LegalUpdated January 31, 2026

Law Enforcement Guidelines

How verified law enforcement agencies can request user data from RUSH.

Effective Date: January 31, 2026

These guidelines explain how verified law enforcement agencies can request information from RUSH (Homie Lab Inc.). They are intended to provide a clear process while recognizing that RUSH serves LGBTQ+ adults, including users in jurisdictions with heightened risk.

Quick Read

  • We require valid legal process for ordinary requests.
  • Emergency requests may be reviewed without formal process when there is imminent risk of death or serious physical injury.
  • We review scope carefully and may challenge overly broad or invalid requests.
  • We may notify users when legally permitted.
  • We apply extra scrutiny to requests that appear designed to target LGBTQ+ people.

1. About RUSH

RUSH is a social networking platform for LGBTQ+ adults (18+) operated by Homie Lab Inc., a Canadian corporation based in Toronto, Ontario.

The service may include:

  • user profiles;
  • profile and message photos;
  • private messaging;
  • location-based discovery features; and
  • moderation and safety records.

2. What We Require for Requests

To process a request for user data, we generally require:

Valid Legal Process

  • Subpoena or equivalent for basic subscriber information
  • Court order or equivalent for metadata and account activity
  • Search warrant or equivalent for message content or stored communications

Verification

  • the request must come from an authorized agency;
  • it must be sent from verifiable official contact information or on official letterhead; and
  • it must identify a case reference and a real point of contact.

Specificity

Requests should include:

  • the user identifier, such as email, phone number, or username;
  • the specific categories of data sought;
  • the legal basis for the request; and
  • the relevant time period, if applicable.

3. How to Submit a Request

Standard Requests

Send to legal@feeltherush.app.

Emergency Requests

Send to emergency@feeltherush.app. This address is reserved for genuine emergencies involving imminent danger.

Mailing Address

Homie Lab Inc.
Attn: Legal / Law Enforcement
517 Richmond St East Suite 1015
Toronto, ON M5A 1R4
Canada

4. Categories of Data We May Provide

With Subpoena or Equivalent

Basic subscriber information may include:

  • name provided by the user;
  • email address;
  • phone number;
  • account creation date;
  • last login timestamp; and
  • basic profile information.

With Court Order or Equivalent

Metadata or account activity may include:

  • login timestamps;
  • IP addresses;
  • device information;
  • approximate location history, where available;
  • high-level interaction metadata; and
  • moderation or report history.

With Search Warrant or Equivalent

Stored communications or content may include:

  • message text;
  • photos sent in messages;
  • profile photos; and
  • private album content.

Emergency Disclosure

In a genuine emergency involving imminent risk of death or serious physical injury, we may review whether limited disclosure is appropriate without waiting for formal legal process.

5. Data Retention

Availability of data depends on what exists and whether it remains within our retention window.

Data TypeTypical Retention
Active account dataLife of the account
MessagesUntil deletion, subject to retention schedules
PhotosUntil deletion, subject to retention schedules
IP and device logsAbout 90 days
Deleted account data in backupsUp to 90 days
Moderation recordsUp to 2 years

Data may be unavailable if:

  • the user deleted it and retention has expired;
  • the user never created that data; or
  • the data was not logged or retained for technical reasons.

6. Emergency Requests

We treat emergency requests separately from routine legal process.

What Qualifies

An emergency generally involves imminent risk of:

  • death or serious physical injury;
  • harm to a child; or
  • an active serious crime.

What to Include

Emergency requests should include:

  • the nature of the emergency;
  • the specific risk of harm;
  • the user identifier;
  • the requesting officer’s name, badge number, and agency; and
  • a direct callback number.

Our Process

  1. We verify the requesting party and the claimed emergency.
  2. We review whether disclosure is legally permitted and appropriate.
  3. We may provide limited information needed to address the emergency.
  4. We may require formal legal process to follow as soon as practicable.

Routine matters submitted as emergencies may be denied.

7. User Notification

We generally seek to notify users of law enforcement requests when legally permitted to do so.

We may delay or withhold notice when:

  • a court order or law prohibits notice;
  • notice would create a serious safety risk; or
  • notice would compromise an active investigation.

We may also challenge requests we believe are invalid, overbroad, or inconsistent with applicable law.

8. International Requests and LGBTQ+ Risk

RUSH serves a community that may face severe risk in some jurisdictions. We apply additional scrutiny to requests that appear designed to identify, target, or persecute LGBTQ+ people.

Canadian Requests

Canadian agencies should use lawful Canadian legal process.

United States Requests

We may review valid U.S. legal process and requests routed through proper international mechanisms, including MLAT channels where applicable.

Other Jurisdictions

For other countries, we may require:

  • MLAT or comparable cross-border legal process;
  • additional verification of authority; and
  • evidence that the request complies with applicable human-rights and privacy requirements.

What Extra Scrutiny Means

We may:

  • challenge overbroad or suspicious requests;
  • require a higher showing before disclosure where legally permitted;
  • limit disclosure to the minimum necessary; and
  • seek outside legal advice before responding.

We cannot guarantee that every government request can be resisted, but we do not treat all requests as routine.

9. Preservation Requests

Law enforcement may request temporary preservation of data pending formal process.

Requirements

  • the request must be in writing;
  • it must identify the account or user clearly;
  • it must specify what data should be preserved; and
  • it must include an expected timeline for formal process.

Duration

We may preserve data for up to 90 days, with renewal requests considered where appropriate. Preserved data is not disclosed without valid legal process unless an emergency disclosure standard is met.

10. Testimony and Cost Reimbursement

Where legally appropriate, we may provide:

  • authentication of business records;
  • technical explanation of our systems; or
  • testimony requiring appropriate notice and compensation.

We may also seek reimbursement for unusually burdensome requests, including requests requiring significant engineering or legal review.

11. Requests We May Reject

We may reject or narrow requests that:

  • lack valid legal process;
  • are overly broad;
  • appear to be fishing expeditions;
  • seem designed to target LGBTQ+ users improperly;
  • are not adequately verified; or
  • conflict with applicable law or user rights.

12. Transparency

We may publish transparency information from time to time, including high-level information about the number and types of requests received. We do not publicly comment on individual requests.

13. Contact

Phone: +1 (647) 684-0908

Mailing Address:
Homie Lab Inc.
517 Richmond St East Suite 1015
Toronto, ON M5A 1R4
Canada

14. Updates

We may update these guidelines to reflect changes in law, process, or product functionality. The current version will always be available at /legal/law-enforcement.

Last Updated: January 31, 2026