Trust & Security

How we handle
your data.

The operational details behind our privacy policy: subprocessors, retention windows, security controls, and how agency verification actually works.

Last Updated: April 27, 2026
EU data residency
System status →

Subprocessors

These are the third parties we share data with in order to operate the platform. We do not sell personal data. We will notify customers of material changes to this list at least 30 days before adding a new subprocessor that handles personal data.

VendorPurposeData sharedRegion
StripePayment processing and subscription billingCard details, billing address, transaction metadataUnited States, EU
PostalTransactional and lifecycle email deliveryEmail address, name, message contentSelf-hosted, EU infrastructure
CloudflareDNS, DDoS protection, edge cachingIP address, request metadataGlobal edge network
Hetzner / DigitalOceanApplication and database hostingAll platform data at restEU (Germany) primary
Google reCAPTCHA EnterpriseBot and abuse detection on auth and formsDevice fingerprint, IP address, interaction signalsUnited States
Google AnalyticsAggregate usage analyticsPseudonymous visitor IDs, page views, referrersUnited States

Security controls

What we have in place today. We're a small team, so this list is short and honest — not aspirational.

Encryption in transit

TLS 1.3 enforced on every connection. HSTS preload-eligible.

Encryption at rest

Database volumes and object storage use AES-256 at the disk layer.

Access controls

Production access is SSH key + 2FA. Admin panel requires the `admin` role; sensitive routes also require email verification.

Secrets management

No secrets in source. Environment variables loaded from a permission-restricted .env file outside the web root.

Rate limiting

Auth, password reset, and review submission endpoints are throttled. reCAPTCHA Enterprise gates signup, login, and contact forms.

Audit logging

Admin actions, billing events, and authentication events are written to an append-only audit trail.

Retention

How long we keep different categories of data. Closure requests go to [email protected].

Active account data
Retained while account is active
Closed account data
Deleted within 30 days of closure request
Billing & tax records
Retained 7 years (legal requirement)
Server access logs
30 days, then purged
Email send logs
90 days for deliverability triage
Database backups
Daily snapshots, 30-day retention
Funnel & analytics events
12 months, then aggregated

How verification works

The "Verified" badge means something specific. Here's exactly what we check and what we don't.

1

Domain ownership

Every claimed agency profile must verify control of the agency's primary domain via a meta-tag, DNS TXT record, or HTML file.

2

Backlink check

Verified agencies link back to their VAI.me profile. We re-verify the backlink daily — if it disappears, the verified badge is suspended.

3

Business identity

For Premium tier: registered business name and country are matched against the domain WHOIS or a verifiable corporate registry.

4

Review provenance

Reviews require a confirmed email address and are tied to a specific lead or engagement record. We do not allow anonymous reviews and we do not buy or seed reviews.

What "Verified" does not mean

Verification confirms identity and accountability. It is not a quality endorsement. We don't audit deliverables, guarantee outcomes, or vouch for individual engagements. Reviews exist to surface that signal — not the badge.

Report a security issue

Found a vulnerability? Send a writeup to [email protected]. We acknowledge within 2 business days and won't pursue legal action against good-faith research.

Data subject requests

Access, export, or delete your data: email [email protected]. We respond within 30 days as required by GDPR.

Want the full legal text?

Privacy Policy and Terms of Service spell out the legal commitments. This page covers the operational reality.