Companies earn recognition if they require the government to get a warrant supported by probable cause before they will hand over the contents of user communications.

EFF have this category because they believe that the Fourth Amendment protects communications stored with service providers, and the government must have a search warrant before it can seize those messages. This view was upheld by the 2010 Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decision in United States v. Warshak. This decision was a critical victory for Internet privacy, but represents the holding of one appeals court—and thus is not binding legal precedent throughout the entire country.

EFF awards stars to companies that commit to following the Warshak standard nationwide. When companies require a warrant before turning over private messages to law enforcement, they ensure that private communications online are treated consistently with the protections the Fourth Amendment gives to communications that occur offline.