Terms of Service & Data Processing Addendum
Last updated: September 1, 2026
1. Nature of Service
Zeitgeist Confidential (the “Platform”) is a cloud-native B2B Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that provides digital infrastructure for secure, anonymous compliance reporting. The Platform provides the software environment (the infrastructure) for organisations to manage internal compliance workflows. Zeitgeist Confidential does not operate, manage, investigate, or review any content, reports, or data submitted within the tenant environment. The Tenant is the sole Data Controller and assumes full legal responsibility for the management, investigation, and outcomes of all submitted reports.
Critical Notice
All report content is encrypted at rest using AES-256-GCM with tenant-specific keys. Zeitgeist Confidential personnel, infrastructure operators, and cloud providers cannot decrypt, read, or access submitted reports. In the event of a lawful access request from any government or regulatory body, Zeitgeist Confidential can only confirm that data exists and is encrypted — the plaintext content is technically inaccessible to the provider.
2. Data Processing Addendum (DPA)
This Data Processing Addendum forms an integral part of the Terms of Service and applies to the processing of personal data in connection with the Zeitgeist Confidential platform.
2.1 Roles and Responsibilities
The Corporate Client utilising the platform acts as the Data Controller, retaining full ownership, legal ownership, and decision-making power over the reports and investigations. Zeitgeist Confidential acts strictly as the Data Processor, providing the encrypted environment to execute operations. The Processor shall not process data outside the Controller's instructions.
2.2 Tenant-Level Cryptographic Isolation
The Data Processor enforces strict database-level isolation and per-tenant cryptographic derivation via HKDF-SHA256. Each Tenant's data is encrypted with its own derived keys and is cryptographically isolated from every other tenant's environment.
2.3 Encryption Standard
All report data is encrypted at rest using AES-256-GCM with tenant-specific keys derived from the tenant's configured encryption key. Data in transit is protected via TLS 1.3.
2.4 Sub-processors
Zeitgeist Confidential may engage sub-processors for hosting (Vercel, Supabase) and email delivery. All sub-processors are bound by equivalent data protection obligations.
2.5 Data Retention
The Tenant configures the data retention period (default: 36 months). Upon retention expiry, data is automatically purged. The Tenant may request earlier deletion at any time.
2.6 Breach Notification
In the event of a security breach affecting encrypted data, Zeitgeist Confidential will notify the Tenant within 72 hours. Report content is encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM tenant-specific keys, which limits the confidentiality impact of a database-level breach.
3. Financial Liability & PCI-DSS Exemption
Financial Shield Notice
Zeitgeist Confidential does not process, store, transmit, or handle any payment card data, credit card numbers, debit card information, or banking credentials of any third party. The platform is not a payment gateway, payment processor, or merchant of record for any transaction other than its own subscription billing, which is handled through independent, PCI-DSS-compliant payment processors operated by the provider.
3.1 No Payment Processing Obligations
Zeitgeist Confidential is a SaaS reporting platform. It does not collect, process, or route payments on behalf of tenants, their employees, reporters, or any third party. Consequently, Zeitgeist Confidential is not subject to PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance obligations with respect to tenant or reporter data. No cardholder data environment (CDE) exists within this platform.
3.2 Zero Financial Intermediary Liability
Zeitgeist Confidential acts solely as a provider of digital whistleblowing infrastructure. It does not hold, manage, or intermediary funds belonging to tenants or their clients. Any commercial disputes, chargebacks, or fraud claims arising from a tenant's own business operations are exclusively between the tenant and its customers. Zeitgeist Confidential bears no financial liability for transactions it does not process.
3.3 Subscription Billing Independence
The provider's own subscription billing (monthly or annual fees charged to tenants) is processed through separate, PCI-DSS-certified payment channels that are independent of the Zeitgeist Confidential platform infrastructure. Subscription payment data never enters the platform's database, encryption pipeline, or audit trail.
4. Limitation of Liability
The Platform is provided on an “as-is” and “as-available” basis. Zeitgeist Confidential provides software infrastructure only. The platform does not provide legal advice, investigation services, or compliance consulting. In no event shall Zeitgeist Confidential, its developers, or parent operators be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from the use or inability to use the platform, including but not limited to data breaches, server downtime, or loss of information.
Liability Cap
Zeitgeist Confidential’s maximum aggregate liability to any Tenant for any cause whatsoever shall be strictly limited to the total fees paid by said Tenant to the Platform during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim.
The Tenant is solely responsible for:
- •Investigating and responding to submitted reports
- •Ensuring compliance with local labour and employment laws
- •Maintaining internal policies consistent with applicable whistleblower protection legislation
- •Communicating outcomes to reporters and affected parties
- •Any legal claims arising from the handling or mishandling of reports
5. Service Terms
5.1 Subscription & Billing
Services are billed on a recurring monthly or annual subscription basis. All fees are processed in USD through authorised payment processors. Plans are billed in advance. The Tenant may cancel at any time; no partial-month refunds are provided.
5.2 Grace Period
Failure to maintain an active subscription will result in the suspension of administrative access to the tenant infrastructure after a grace period of 7 days. During the grace period, all data remains encrypted and preserved. After suspension, data is retained for an additional 30 days before permanent deletion.
5.3 Acceptable Use
The platform must not be used for filing fraudulent, malicious, or legally harassing reports. Zeitgeist Confidential reserves the right to terminate accounts that abuse the service.
5.4 Modifications
Zeitgeist Confidential may update these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email. Continued use of the platform constitutes acceptance of updated Terms.
6. Contact
For questions about these Terms, the DPA, or data protection practices, contact us at:
support@zeitgeistbusiness.com