Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the BreachWatcher website at www.breachwatcher.io and all related services (collectively, the "Service"), operated by BreachWatcher ("we", "us", or "our").

By accessing our website, submitting an email address for monitoring, or subscribing to any paid plan, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

BreachWatcher is a data breach monitoring service. We check email addresses you provide against databases of known data breaches and notify you when a match is found, along with information about what data was exposed and guidance on next steps.

2.1 What We Do

• Monitor email addresses against known breach databases on an ongoing basis.
• Deliver breach alerts, security alerts, and cybersecurity tips to subscribers according to their plan.
• Publish platform-wide new breach announcements to all users.

2.2 What We Do Not Do

• We do not prevent breaches or secure third-party systems on your behalf.
• We do not store, recover, or delete data exposed in breaches.
• We do not guarantee detection of every breach — our coverage depends on breach data becoming publicly known and indexed.
• We are not a cybersecurity insurer and do not provide financial compensation for losses arising from a breach.
• The Service does not provide cybersecurity protection — it is an informational monitoring and alerting service only.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to create a paid subscription. By using the Service, you represent that you meet this requirement.

When you submit email addresses belonging to other people (e.g. family members or employees on a Family or Business plan), you represent that you have obtained their informed consent to submit and monitor their email addresses using our Service.

4. Subscriber Responsibilities

4.1 Accurate Information

You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information when registering for or using the Service, and to update that information promptly if it changes. Providing false or misleading information may result in suspension or termination of your access.

4.2 Email Address Ownership

You represent and warrant that you have the legal right to monitor every email address you register with the Service. Registering email addresses you do not own or do not have explicit authorisation to monitor is strictly prohibited and may result in immediate termination of your subscription.

4.3 Acting on Notifications

You are solely responsible for taking appropriate action in response to any breach notification or alert we send — including changing passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, or contacting affected services. We are not liable for any loss or damage resulting from your failure to act on a notification in a timely manner.

5. Plans and Pricing

We reserve the right to change pricing at any time. If you are on a paid plan, any price change will apply at the start of your next renewal period and we will notify you by email in advance.

6. Payment and Billing

6.1 Payment Processors

Payments are processed by PayFast (for South African subscribers) and Stripe (for international subscribers). By completing a purchase you agree to the applicable terms of those processors. BreachWatcher does not store your full card details.

6.2 Subscription Periods

Paid plans are billed annually. Your subscription begins on the date payment is confirmed and runs for 12 months. It does not auto-renew — you will need to resubscribe manually at the end of your term.

6.3 Non-Refundable Fees

All subscription fees are payable in advance and are non-refundable. If you cancel your subscription, you will retain access to paid features until the end of your current subscription term. No partial or pro-rata refunds are issued for unused time.

6.4 Failed Payments

If a payment fails, access to paid features may be suspended until the outstanding amount is settled. We will notify you by email if a payment cannot be processed.

7. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Submit email addresses that do not belong to you or that you do not have explicit permission to monitor.
• Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable laws or regulations.
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, scrape, or automate access to the Service or its underlying breach data.
• Use breach data obtained through the Service to harm, harass, or defraud any individual.
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to our systems, networks, or databases.
• Resell, sublicense, or redistribute our breach data or reports without written permission.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate access to the Service immediately for any violation of these rules.

8. Intellectual Property

All content on the BreachWatcher website — including text, design, graphics, code, logos, security alerts, and cybersecurity tips — is owned by or licensed to BreachWatcher and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

You may not copy, reproduce, republish, or distribute any part of our content without prior written consent, except for personal, non-commercial use.

Breach data referenced in our reports originates from third-party incidents. BreachWatcher does not claim ownership of that underlying data and presents it solely for the purpose of informing users of their exposure.

9. Disclaimers

In particular, we do not warrant that:

• The Service will detect every breach involving your email address — our coverage is limited to breaches that have been publicly disclosed and indexed.
• Breach alerts will be delivered in real time — there may be a delay between a breach occurring and it appearing in breach databases.
• The Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from security vulnerabilities.
• Information in breach reports is complete or accurate — we report what the breach data contains, which may itself be incomplete.

The Service relies on third-party data sources to identify breaches. We are not responsible for the accuracy, reliability, or availability of those sources, and we do not independently verify all breach data.

BreachWatcher is a monitoring and notification service. Taking protective action (such as changing passwords, enabling MFA, or contacting affected services) is your responsibility.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, BreachWatcher and its operators will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages — including loss of data, loss of profits, or financial loss — arising from or related to your use of, inability to use, or reliance on the Service, including losses resulting from breach alerts sent or from the absence of an alert.

Our total aggregate liability to you for any claim arising from these Terms or the Service will not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim. For free-tier users, our aggregate liability is limited to ZAR 100 / USD 10.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or limitations of liability, so some of the above may not apply to you. Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be excluded by law, including liability for gross negligence or fraud.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless BreachWatcher and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your violation of these Terms, your misuse of the Service, or your infringement of any third-party rights.

12. Third-Party Services and Links

The Service relies on third-party providers including Stripe, PayFast, and EmailJS. Your use of those services is subject to their own terms and policies. BreachWatcher is not responsible for the practices of any third-party service provider.

Our website may link to external cybersecurity resources, news articles, or tools. Those links are provided for informational purposes only. We do not endorse and are not responsible for the content of external sites.

13. Privacy

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using the Service, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in that policy.

14. Changes to the Service

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time. Where a change materially reduces the features available to paid subscribers, we will provide reasonable advance notice by email.

We may also update these Terms from time to time. We will notify active subscribers by email of material changes. Your continued use of the Service after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to an update, you may cancel your subscription before it takes effect.

15. Termination

15.1 By You

You may stop using the Service at any time. To request deletion of your email address and account data, contact us at thebreachwatcher@gmail.com. Subscription fees are non-refundable — see Section 6.3.

15.2 By Us

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service immediately if you violate these Terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or if we reasonably believe continued access poses a risk to other users or to us. We will notify you where we are permitted to do so. Termination for cause does not entitle you to a refund.

15.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately and you must stop all use of breach data obtained through the Service. Sections 8, 9, 10, 11, and 16 of these Terms survive termination.

16. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa. You agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of South Africa for the resolution of any disputes arising under or related to these Terms.

If you are located in a jurisdiction where local consumer protection law provides you with greater rights than those set out here, those rights are not waived by these Terms.

Before initiating any formal dispute process, we encourage you to contact us at thebreachwatcher@gmail.com — most issues can be resolved quickly and informally.

17. Miscellaneous

17.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and BreachWatcher regarding the Service and supersede any prior agreements.

17.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force.

17.3 No Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

17.4 Assignment

You may not assign your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations without restriction.

18. Contact Us

For questions about these Terms, to report a concern, or to request account changes, contact us at: