Effective Date: August 24, 2026
By accessing or using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into this Agreement by reference.
This Terms of Service (“Agreement”) applies to the Ephemere Chat website and services (“Service”) operated by Ephemere Chat (“Ephemere Chat,” “we,” “us,” or “our”).
By accessing or using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions described below.
1. Nature of the Service
Ephemere Chat provides access to a hardened, ephemeral Matrix server environment.
Ephemere Chat does not own, operate, or control the Matrix protocol. Matrix is an open communications protocol developed and maintained independently of Ephemere Chat.
The Service consists of infrastructure and configurations built upon the Matrix protocol and is intended to facilitate a secure, anonymous, and privacy-focused communications environment.
The Service is architected for maximum privacy, utilising data minimisation, limited logging, short retention periods, and ephemeral operation with automatic cleanup; furthermore, it is configured to facilitate connectivity via the Tor network.
2. Security and Privacy
Ephemere Chat is designed to minimise the persistence of communications and operational data. The Service includes security-oriented features such as no logging, automatic session expiration, and data redaction. To further enhance network-level anonymity, the Service is accessible via the Tor network.
These features are intended to improve the privacy of the Service but do not constitute a guarantee of absolute anonymity or security. Users are encouraged to employ their own privacy-enhancing tools, as no internet-connected system can guarantee complete anonymity or confidentiality.
3. End-to-End Encryption
The Service is configured to require end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for all communications; the server is set to block the transmission of unencrypted messages. While this policy is enforced at the server level, this configuration does not constitute a guarantee of absolute security and may be subject to unforeseen technical overrides, vulnerabilities, or system failures.
The actual effectiveness of E2EE depends on the Matrix clients used, room configurations, encryption settings, and the security of the participating devices. Users are solely responsible for properly configuring and securing their own devices and clients.
Ephemere Chat does not control third-party Matrix clients and cannot guarantee the security of a user's device, client software, account credentials, or endpoint. By design, the enforcement of end-to-end encryption ensures that Ephemere Chat has no access to message content in readable form.
4. User Responsibility
Users are responsible for:
- maintaining the security of their devices and accounts;
- protecting their passwords, recovery credentials, and other authentication information;
- ensuring that the clients and devices they use are appropriately secured;
- configuring encryption where appropriate;
- complying with applicable laws; and
- using the Service responsibly.
The security of the Service cannot compensate for a compromised device, compromised credentials, malicious software, insecure client configuration, or other compromise outside Ephemere Chat's infrastructure.
5. Acceptable Use
The Service must not be used for unlawful activity or in a manner that materially threatens, disrupts, or compromises the Service or its infrastructure.
Users must not intentionally:
- compromise or attempt to compromise the Service or its infrastructure;
- interfere with the operation or availability of the Service;
- gain unauthorised access to systems or accounts;
- distribute malicious software or harmful code through the Service;
- abuse the infrastructure in a manner that materially affects other users; or
- use the Service in violation of applicable law.
- distribute or facilitate the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or content promoting terrorism.
Because the Service is designed to ensure user anonymity and no persistent logging, Ephemere Chat is intentionally limited in its ability to identify users or reconstruct historical activity.
6. Termination of Access
We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, without prior notice, for any reason, including but not limited to a breach of the Acceptable Use policy or any other provision of these Terms.
7. Ephemeral Architecture
The Service is built upon an ephemeral architecture, meaning that data persistence is intentionally minimised by design. To protect user privacy and reduce the long-term digital footprint of communications, information is subject to automatic purging, redaction, or expiration according to the Service's architectural configuration.
Crucially, this architecture is specifically engineered to preclude any form of server-side backup or data recovery. Because the system is designed to avoid the creation of redundant copies or archives, information ceases to exist automatically without manual intervention. Once this automated erasure occurs, the data is permanently destroyed and is technically non-recoverable by any means.
Users are expressly cautioned that the Service does not maintain backups and is not an archival system. You are solely responsible for maintaining your own independent backups of any information you wish to preserve. The data is permanently destroyed and is technically non-recoverable by any means, including by the operators of Ephemere Chat.
8. Availability
We aim to provide a reliable Service, but we do not guarantee that the Service will always be available, uninterrupted, error-free, or free from maintenance periods.
The Service may be modified, suspended, restricted, or discontinued where reasonably necessary, including for maintenance, security, infrastructure changes, legal requirements, or circumstances outside our reasonable control.
9. Third-Party Software and Services
The Service relies on third-party software, infrastructure, networks, and services. This includes Matrix software and potentially third-party hosting, infrastructure, payment, DNS, networking, or other providers.
Ephemere Chat does not control third-party services and cannot guarantee their availability, security, privacy practices, or continued operation. Your use of third-party software or services may also be subject to their own terms and policies.
10. Cryptocurrency Payments
Ephemere Chat accepts cryptocurrency payments. Cryptocurrency transactions occur through the relevant blockchain network and may be publicly recorded on that network.
Ephemere Chat does not guarantee that cryptocurrency payments are anonymous or untraceable. Users are responsible for ensuring that the cryptocurrency, wallet, exchange, or other payment service they use is suitable for their own privacy and security requirements.
Cryptocurrency transactions may be irreversible. Users are responsible for ensuring that payment addresses and transaction details are correct before submitting a payment.
11. No Professional Advice
Information provided by Ephemere Chat through the website, documentation, or Service is provided for general informational purposes. Nothing provided by Ephemere Chat constitutes legal, financial, security, operational, or other professional advice.
12. No Guarantee of Anonymity
Ephemere Chat is engineered to facilitate user anonymity by minimising persistent data and eliminating unnecessary identification. To support network-level anonymity, the Service is accessible via the Tor network; however, the use of Tor is a tool for enhancement and does not constitute a guarantee of absolute anonymity.
It is critical to understand that privacy (the protection of data) is not the same as guaranteed anonymity (the concealment of identity). While the Service is non-federated, communications remain within our own controlled environment—however, information may still be leaked or captured outside of Ephemere Chat's systems. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Endpoints: Data stored on the user's own device or within a third-party Matrix client.
- Connection Records: Metadata captured by internet service providers (ISPs) or network administrators regarding the user's connection to the server.
- External Services: Traceable footprints left through cryptocurrency networks or other third-party services used by the user.
To further mask their network identity, users may choose to employ additional privacy-enhancing tools, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). However, Ephemere Chat does not provide, endorse, or control any VPN services.
13. Disclaimer of Warranties
THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, EPHEMERE CHAT EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.
WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, ERROR-FREE, OR THAT THE SERVICE WILL ACHIEVE ABSOLUTE ANONYMITY OR TOTAL PRIVACY.
14. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Ephemere Chat and its operators, affiliates, contractors, and service providers will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or other losses arising from or related to the use of, or inability to use, the Service.
This includes, where legally permitted, loss of data, communications, access, revenue, business opportunities, or other information resulting from the ephemeral nature of the Service, automatic deletion, service interruption, security incidents, third-party failures, or user configuration.
15. Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Ephemere Chat and its operators from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs or debt, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees) arising from: (i) your use of and access to the Service; (ii) your violation of any term of these Terms; or (iii) your violation of any third-party right, including without limitation any copyright, property, or privacy right.
16. Governing Law
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Panama, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. You agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of the courts located within Panama for the purpose of any dispute arising out of these Terms.
17. Changes to the Service and Terms
Ephemere Chat may change the Service, including its infrastructure, features, security controls, retention mechanisms, or technical configuration.
We may update these Terms of Service from time to time. The “Effective Date” at the beginning of this agreement indicates when the current version took effect. Continued use of the Service following an update constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
18. Contact
Questions regarding these Terms or the Service may be directed to Ephemere Chat using the contact information provided on the Ephemere Chat website. For secure, end-to-end encrypted communication regarding these matters, we recommend using our SimpleX Messenger address.