What Verification Status Means
Every verification credential issued by CITAQ includes a mandatory point-in-time disclaimer. This page explains the complete scope, limitations, evidence tier lifecycles, and jurisdiction-specific constraints of that verification.
Standard Verification Disclaimer
This credential does not represent conformity assessment body certification under ISO 17065 standards.
This credential is not regulatory approval from any government body, standards organization, or regulatory agency.
This credential does not guarantee that the product performs as claimed. It confirms evidence linkage only.
This credential is not a product endorsement or commercial recommendation by CITAQ or any third party.
This disclaimer is a constitutional constraint (PROHIBITION-006) embedded in every issued credential. It cannot be disabled, customized, or removed by operators or administrators.
Point-in-Time Verification Explained
A credential issued on a given date confirms that on that date: the linked evidence was valid, the claims matched the evidence, and the evidence came from a recognized source. It makes no claim about the state of affairs before or after that date.
When a laboratory certification or compliance document passes its expiry date, verification status automatically updates. Operators are notified on a defined schedule (see Notification Schedule below) before expiry.
If product claims are modified after verification, affected claims revert to unverified status immediately. New evidence must be linked before the claim returns to verified status.
If a certifying body revokes a certificate, the linked verification status is invalidated. Revocation propagates across all consumer surfaces within 60 seconds (SLA guarantee).
Evidence Tier Lifecycle
Evidence sources are classified into tiers based on source reliability and independence. Each tier has a defined recertification period. When evidence expires, a 30-day grace period begins before automatic downgrade.
Downgrade is irreversible without fresh evidence. When an L2, L3, or L4 evidence source expires and the grace period elapses, the claim automatically downgrades to L1 status. To restore the original tier, new evidence from a qualifying source must be submitted and linked.
Evidence Expiry Notification Schedule
CITAQ sends notifications on the following schedule before evidence expiry. Notifications are sent to the operator email on file and available in the platform dashboard.
Revocation Propagation
When a certifying body revokes a certificate, or when CITAQ issues an administrative revocation, the status change propagates across all consumer surfaces within 60 seconds. Cache invalidation runs immediately on revocation events.
Operators who trigger a revocation see it reflected immediately in their own dashboard view. The Read-Your-Own-Revocations guarantee ensures operators cannot see stale credentials after their own revocation action.
Scope Limitations
High-Risk Category Rules
Certain product categories have structural constraints that override all verification workflows. These are not operator-configurable.
Claims containing the words "cures", "treats", "heals", or "prevents disease" are automatically blocked (HTTP 422) before reaching any verification workflow. This applies regardless of evidence submitted.
Verification of medical product claims does not constitute medical device approval, FDA clearance, or clinical validation (FDA 21 CFR 101.93). Consult qualified regulatory counsel for medical category compliance.
Battery products are subject to EU Digital Product Passport (EU DPP) requirements. EU DPP mandatory date for batteries: February 18, 2027.
Battery operators must have EU DPP-compliant evidence linked before this date. Verification credentials issued after the deadline without DPP evidence will carry a mandatory compliance gap flag.
Verification of electronics compliance claims (RoHS, WEEE, CE Marking, FCC) confirms evidence linkage to submitted documentation only. Regulatory approval determinations require qualified compliance assessment by a recognized certifying body. Textiles category: EU DPP mandatory compliance expected mid-2027.
Food and beverage claims are subject to HARD_BLOCK rules for prohibited health claims. Verification confirms evidence linkage to ingredient declarations, certifications, and sourcing documentation. It does not constitute FDA food safety approval or nutritional claim substantiation under FTC standards.
Jurisdiction-Specific Claim Adaptation
CITAQ applies jurisdiction-specific claim fencing automatically based on ISO 3166-1 country codes. Claims that are valid in one jurisdiction may be automatically restricted or stripped in another.
Auto-stripped in EU markets — FDA approval is a US-specific regulatory classification not recognized in the EU
Only valid for EU, EEA, and applicable global markets. Auto-restricted for markets without CE recognition
EU Regulation 1924/2006 health claim rules applied for EU-facing surfaces. Non-EU claims use local regulatory framework
Jurisdiction tagging is mandatory on all issued credentials. Operators are responsible for ensuring their claims comply with the regulations of every jurisdiction where their products are sold. CITAQ's jurisdiction fencing reduces risk but does not constitute legal compliance determination.
Technical Enforcement
All API responses include verification classification headers. Consumers of the API must respect these headers.
All W3C Verifiable Credentials include embedded disclaimer fields. Invalid credentials cannot be issued without these fields.
HARD_BLOCK rules return HTTP 422 before any verification logic executes. No credits consumed on blocked submissions.
Verification badges issued for Shopify and other platform integrations include an embedded watermark with issue timestamp and disclaimer reference.
Questions about verification status: verification@citaq.io
High-risk category inquiries: compliance@citaq.io
60-second revocation propagation SLA · Read-Your-Own-Revocations guarantee