Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account or using TesseraVault ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

TesseraVault is a zero-knowledge encrypted document collection platform that enables professionals to securely request, collect, and manage sensitive documents from clients. All documents are encrypted on the client device before upload; TesseraVault cannot access document contents.

3. Account Responsibilities

• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials, passphrase, and recovery phrase.
• You must provide accurate and complete registration information.
• You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
• You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.

4. Zero-Knowledge Disclaimer

TesseraVault uses zero-knowledge encryption. This means we cannot recover your data if you lose your passphrase and recovery phrase. You are solely responsible for securely storing your passphrase and recovery phrase. Loss of both will result in permanent, irrecoverable loss of access to your encrypted documents. TesseraVault is not liable for any data loss resulting from lost credentials.

5. Acceptable Use & Prohibited Content

You agree not to use the Service to:

• Upload, store, or transmit child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or any content depicting the exploitation of minors.
• Facilitate human trafficking, forced labor, or sexual exploitation.
• Upload, store, or transmit content that violates applicable federal, state, or international laws.
• Engage in fraud, identity theft, or money laundering.
• Use the Service to threaten, harass, or intimidate any person.
• Engage in any activity that interferes with or disrupts the Service.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service or its related systems.
• Circumvent any rate limits, access controls, or other security measures.

TesseraVault reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts, cancel document requests, and cooperate with law enforcement (including NCMEC reporting under 18 U.S.C. § 2258A) when we become aware of prohibited content or activity. Violations may be reported to the appropriate authorities.

6. Subscription and Billing

Some features of the Service require a paid subscription. Subscriptions are billed on a recurring basis. You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings or the Stripe customer portal. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. We reserve the right to change our pricing with 30 days' notice.

7. Service Availability

We strive to maintain high availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted access to the Service. We may perform maintenance, updates, or experience outages. We will make reasonable efforts to provide advance notice of planned downtime.

8. Intellectual Property

The Service, including its design, code, and documentation, is owned by TesseraVault. You retain all rights to the content you upload. By using the Service, you grant us a limited license to store and transmit your encrypted content solely for the purpose of providing the Service.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, TesseraVault shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of data, loss of profits, or business interruption, arising from your use of the Service. Our total liability shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim.

10. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account if you violate these Terms. You may delete your account at any time. Upon termination, your encrypted data will be deleted in accordance with our data retention policy.

11. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email or a prominent notice on the Service. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

12. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of law principles.

13. Abuse Reporting & Law Enforcement

If you believe the Service is being used for illegal purposes, you may submit an abuse report through the reporting mechanism available on document upload pages. TesseraVault will review all reports and take appropriate action, which may include suspending access, preserving metadata for law enforcement, and filing reports with NCMEC or other relevant authorities.

TesseraVault cooperates with law enforcement investigations when presented with valid legal process (subpoenas, court orders, warrants). While TesseraVault cannot access encrypted document contents due to our zero-knowledge architecture, we will provide all available metadata and account information as required by law.

14. Contact

For questions about these Terms, contact us at [email protected].