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. The Archive preserves evidence of government overreach, state violence, and civil and human rights violations, and exists to make such documentation durable, organized, and available for accountability purposes.
This document states what the Archive accepts, how material is handled and reviewed, and the commitments Open Shadows makes to the people who use it.
Scope. The Archive accepts documentation of misconduct by law enforcement and other state actors within the scope of its mission, in common formats including photographs, video, audio, and documents. Material outside this scope, including commercial disputes, private interpersonal matters, and content unrelated to state-actor conduct, is declined.
Restricted material. Material that raises legal concerns is held pending review before any determination is made.
Prohibited content. The Archive complies with applicable law, including legal reporting obligations that attach to certain categories of unlawful content. Such material must not be submitted. If identified, it is handled as the law requires.
No authenticity warranty. Open Shadows undertakes reasonable measures to assess the authenticity of submitted material. Acceptance of material into the Archive is not a finding that the material is authentic or that the conduct depicted occurred.
Intake to the Archive is vetted. Submission occurs only after a request has been reviewed and approved.
Open Shadows limits what it collects about requesters and submitters to what the intake process requires, and limits internal access to that information. Unless expressly authorized by the submitter, the identity of the submitter is not linked to the material submitted. Identifying information about requesters and submitters is not published, is not shared for any commercial purpose, and is disclosed to third parties only as described in the Privacy Policy, including its provisions on compelled disclosure.
Prospective submitters with elevated safety concerns may raise them during the intake process before providing any material, and intake procedures can be adjusted on a case-by-case basis where circumstances warrant.
The Archive is not an emergency service. Individuals in immediate danger should contact emergency services.
Submitted material is processed using automated and AI-assisted methods, which may include transcription, tagging, classification, cross-referencing, and similarity analysis across submissions. These methods organize material; analytical outputs are subject to human review.
The Archive does not make determinations of identity. Open Shadows undertakes reasonable measures to assess the authenticity of submitted material, but makes no claims of fact regarding the contents of the Archive, the events depicted, or the persons appearing in submitted material.
The Archive does not conduct real-time monitoring or surveillance.
An individual who believes material or analysis concerning them is erroneous may request review by writing to contact@openshadows.org.
Publication decisions are governed by documented editorial standards, including human review prior to publication, redaction practices for individuals who are not subjects of documented conduct, protective handling of material depicting minors, and consideration of ongoing legal proceedings. Subjects of documented conduct, meaning public officials acting in their official capacity, do not hold a veto over inclusion or publication; requests from such subjects are reviewed upon receipt.
Reports of misuse of the platform, suspected false or fabricated submissions, impersonation, or other trust and safety concerns may be sent to contact@openshadows.org. Reports are reviewed by Archive personnel, and reporters are not required to identify themselves.
Security researchers who identify a vulnerability in watchmenarchive.org or the intake systems may report it to the same address.
Open Shadows opposes compelled-disclosure demands it believes to be overbroad or improper, including through court challenge where warranted. Where legally permitted, Open Shadows 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 period runs from the date the restriction lifts.
For trust and safety concerns, contact contact@openshadows.org.