EXCLUSION_APPEAL_PROCESS.md

Deposit Exclusion & Appeal Process (#628)

This document describes the recourse available if your deposit is excluded from the approved set and answers to common questions about fund recovery.

Understanding Exclusions

Deposits can be excluded from the Opaque approved set due to:

• Compliance screening: Addresses flagged by regulatory compliance checks
• Policy violations: Deposits that don't meet current inclusion criteria
• Detection evasion attempts: Transactions attempting to obscure intent

Excluded funds are not lost — they remain under your control via your stealth keys.

Recovery Options

Option 1: Direct Withdrawal (Self-Custody)

Your funds are always accessible via stealth key derivation:

1. Go to your wallet's Stealth Keys section
2. Navigate to View Master Keys → export your recovery seed
3. Use the DKSAP derivation with your master keys to recover the ephemeral account
4. Transfer funds to your main wallet address
5. Detailed stealth recovery guide

Timeline: Immediate (same ledger)
Trust model: Self-custody — no operator involvement

Option 2: Appeal for Inclusion Review

If you believe your deposit was wrongly excluded:

1. Gather evidence:

   • Transaction hash and timestamp
   • Source and destination addresses (both public and stealth)
   • Intended use case (payment, custody, other)
   • Any relevant documentation (invoice, proof of legitimacy, etc.)

2. Submit appeal:

   • Email: [operator-contact@opaque.example.com] (placeholder)
   • Include: "APPEAL: Deposit {tx_hash}" in subject
   • Provide all evidence from step 1
   • Clearly explain why the exclusion was incorrect

3. Review timeline:

   • Initial review: 5–10 business days
   • Investigation: Up to 30 days for complex cases
   • Decision notification: Email with outcome

4. Possible outcomes:

   • Approved: Deposit restored to approved set; proof generation succeeds
   • Denied: Withdrawal remains only option (see Option 1)
   • Escalation: Senior review if you provide additional evidence

Option 3: Bulk Disputes

If multiple deposits were excluded:

1. Contact operator with list of transaction hashes and a single narrative explaining the pattern
2. Bulk disputes are reviewed together with shared context
3. Individual appeals still processed in parallel

Timing & Guarantees

Action	Timeline	Guarantee
Self-withdrawal via stealth keys	Immediate	✓ No permission needed
Appeal submission	Ongoing	None; best-effort review
Initial review response	5–10 days	None; SLA TBD
Final decision	≤30 days	None; depends on case complexity

After Exclusion: Proofs & Reputation

While your deposit is excluded:

• Proof generation: Fails with "root not fresh" or similar if using stale data
• Reputation: Your credential attestations are unaffected; you can still prove reputation
• Nullifiers: Previous proofs remain valid; no replay risk

Prevention

To minimize exclusion risk:

• Use known addresses: Stealth sends from established accounts reduce screening friction
• Document context: Large one-time sends are more likely to trigger review
• Disclose intent: If possible, communicate the use case (e.g., "custody transfer")
• Batch deposits: Multiple small deposits may attract more scrutiny than one large transfer

Support

• Bug or contract issue? → Report in GitHub Issues
• Appeal status? → Contact operator (see Option 2)
• How to withdraw via keys? → Stealth recovery guide
• Questions about the protocol? → Read README.md

---

Version: 1.0
Last updated: 2026-07-25
Status: Draft — operator contact details TBD