The WATCHMEN Archive
Last updated: June 2026
The WATCHMEN Archive ("the Archive") is a project of Open Shadows, a fiscally sponsored nonprofit organization based in the United States. This Privacy Policy describes how Open Shadows collects, uses, retains, and discloses information in connection with the website at watchmenarchive.org and the Archive's pre-launch intake services, including the Request Intake form and the vetted submission process.
By using the website or submitting a Request Intake form, the individual acknowledges this Privacy Policy. Questions regarding this Policy may be directed to contact@openshadows.org.
Website visits. The website does not use advertising cookies, analytics services, tracking pixels, or device fingerprinting. As with all websites, hosting infrastructure processes network-level information, such as IP addresses, in the ordinary course of serving pages and protecting against abuse.
Mailing list. Individuals who have signed up to receive launch notifications provided an email address, which is stored together with the date of signup and a label identifying the signup source. Upon the Archive's launch, this list will continue as a general-interest mailing list for the Archive.
Intake requests. An individual who submits the Request Intake form provides: first and last name; email address; preferred method of contact; and, at the individual's option, a phone number, a Signal number or handle, and an organizational affiliation. The form also records whether the requester currently holds material for submission, the requester's acknowledgment of this Privacy Policy and the Trust & Safety Policy, and limited technical data used to deter automated abuse of the form. The Request Intake form does not accept file uploads.
Submitted material. Where an intake request is approved, submitted materials, descriptive information provided with them, and operational records associated with the submission are collected and retained as part of the Archive. Unless expressly authorized by the submitter, the identity of the submitter is not linked to the material submitted.
Information is used for the following purposes: to review and vet intake requests; to contact requesters by their preferred method, including to schedule an intake call; to operate, secure, and administer the submission process; to send launch notifications and, following launch, general-interest updates about the Archive to the mailing list; to process and analyze submitted material consistent with the Archive's mission, as described below; to deter abuse of public-facing forms; and to comply with applicable law.
Information collected through the website is not used for advertising or marketing beyond communications about the Archive itself.
A core function of the Archive is the organization and analysis of submitted material using automated and AI-assisted methods, which may include transcription, tagging, classification, cross-referencing, and similarity analysis across submissions. Analytical outputs are subject to human review. The Archive does not make determinations of identity and makes no claims of fact regarding submitted material. The Archive does not conduct real-time monitoring or surveillance of any kind.
AI-assisted processing is conducted under internal policies designed to limit the exposure of submitted material to third parties. Where processing of submitted material would involve biometric identifiers regulated under applicable law, such processing will be conducted in accordance with that law.
Open Shadows does not sell, rent, or trade personal information, and does not share it with third parties for marketing, advertising, or analytics purposes.
Information may be shared with: service providers that host and support Open Shadows' systems, which process information under contractual terms; legal counsel; and government authorities or other parties where disclosure is required by valid legal process or otherwise required by law.
With respect to compelled disclosure, Open Shadows opposes demands it believes to be overbroad or improper, including through court challenge where warranted, and, where legally permitted, will notify affected individuals within fourteen (14) days of receipt of an order compelling disclosure of their information. Where a legal restriction prevents notification, the notification period runs from the date the restriction is lifted.
Open Shadows employs administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information it holds, including encryption of data in transit and at rest and access controls.
No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and Open Shadows does not warrant absolute security.
Mailing list records are retained for as long as the individual remains subscribed. Submitted material is retained in accordance with the Archive's preservation mission and applicable agreements with submitters.
Individuals may request access to, correction of, or deletion of their personal information by writing to contact@openshadows.org. Open Shadows will respond within a reasonable time and may require verification that a request originates from the individual concerned. Requests concerning submitted evidence are evaluated under the Trust & Safety Policy and applicable law, and deletion is not guaranteed where retention is required by the Archive's mission, by agreement, or by law.
Individuals in the United Kingdom, the European Economic Area, or other jurisdictions with comparable data-protection law may have additional rights, including restriction, objection, portability, and the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. California residents may have rights under the CCPA/CPRA, including the rights to know, delete, and correct. Open Shadows does not "sell" or "share" personal information as those terms are defined under California law.
The website and intake process are not directed to children. Open Shadows does not knowingly collect information from anyone under 16, or under 13 in the United States. Reports of such collection may be sent to contact@openshadows.org and the information will be removed. Submitted evidence depicting minors is handled under protective protocols described in the Trust & Safety Policy.
This Policy may be updated as the Archive develops, including upon public launch, when a revised policy will replace this pre-launch version. Material changes will be reflected on this page with an updated date.
For questions about this Privacy Policy, contact contact@openshadows.org.