Terms governing access to and use of the Ten-Seconds Software
Version 2026.3 — Effective March 2026 — Sterling and Pierce Holding L.L.C-FZ
By registering for or using the Ten-Seconds Software ("the Software"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"), the Privacy Policy, and the Acceptable Use Policy. If you do not agree, you must not use the Software.
These Terms govern the relationship between you and Sterling and Pierce Holding L.L.C-FZ ("the Publisher", "we", "us"), the entity that publishes, operates, and makes the Software available worldwide. Your acceptance of these Terms is recorded with a timestamp and document version number at the time of registration.
If you are accessing the Software under a B2B enterprise licence agreement, the terms of that agreement take precedence over these Terms to the extent of any conflict. These Terms apply to all individual end users by default.
Ten-Seconds is an encrypted ephemeral communications software providing a hosted end-to-end encrypted messaging environment. Key technical characteristics:
Important limitations: The above technical design does not constitute a guarantee against: (a) capture of message content at the device level; (b) screenshots or screen recording by any party; (c) interception prior to encryption on a compromised device; (d) access pursuant to valid legal order directed at a user's device. These Terms do not represent legal advice regarding the admissibility or legality of confidential communications in any jurisdiction.
You must be at least 18 years of age to use the Software. By accepting these Terms, you represent that you meet this requirement. The Software is designed for professional use and is not intended for minors.
Registration requires only a username (pseudonym) and password. No real name or email address is required for standard individual access. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your credentials. Password loss is irrecoverable by design — the password is used to locally encrypt your private key, which the Publisher cannot decrypt or reset.
Access to the Software requires a paid subscription. Subscription plans, pricing, payment methods, and billing terms are set out in the Terms of Sale. Subscription fees are payable in advance. Access is granted for the duration of the paid subscription period.
The Publisher reserves the right to modify subscription plans, pricing, and features with reasonable advance notice.
Subject to these Terms and payment of the applicable subscription, the Publisher grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Software for lawful personal and professional communications. This licence does not include the right to resell, sublicense, reproduce, modify, or reverse-engineer the Software.
Permitted use cases include: internal enterprise communications, legal and professional advice, journalistic source protection, executive communications, and personal privacy-sensitive correspondence.
You must not use the Software for any purpose that is unlawful or violates these Terms. See the full Acceptable Use Policy. Key prohibitions include any use facilitating criminal activity, harm to persons, content prohibited by law, or circumvention of the Software's security mechanisms. Violation may result in immediate account termination and notification of competent authorities.
All intellectual property rights in the Software vest in the Publisher. You are granted a use licence only. You acquire no ownership rights. You must not copy, reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from the Software without prior written authorisation.
The Publisher will use reasonable efforts to maintain service availability. The Software is provided on an "as is" basis. The Publisher does not warrant uninterrupted availability and is not liable for losses resulting from scheduled or unscheduled unavailability.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Publisher's total aggregate liability to you shall not exceed the amount paid for the Software in the 12 months preceding the claim. The Publisher is not liable for: (a) indirect, incidental, or consequential losses; (b) loss of data attributable to the ephemeral design; (c) security incidents resulting from compromise of your device or password; (d) third-party claims. Mandatory statutory protections in your jurisdiction are not affected.
Either party may terminate the contractual relationship. The Publisher may suspend or terminate your account immediately for material breach of these Terms or the Acceptable Use Policy. Upon termination, your access credentials are deleted; no message content recovery is possible due to the ephemeral architecture.
Organisations seeking to deploy the Software under an enterprise, white-label, or hosted licensing arrangement must contact the Publisher directly. Such deployments are governed by a separate commercial licence agreement and do not fall under these individual Terms of Service.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the UAE and, where applicable, Meydan Free Zone regulations. EU users retain all statutory rights under applicable EU legislation. Disputes shall be resolved before the Dubai Courts or the competent court of the user's jurisdiction for mandatory consumer matters.
The Publisher may amend these Terms. Material changes will be notified via the platform. Continued use constitutes acceptance. Users who do not accept revised Terms must cease use and may request account deletion.
Version 2026.3 — March 2026 — Sterling and Pierce Holding L.L.C-FZ