# C5 · Accountable downtime

> Test whether incidents, impact, remediation, and contractual accountability remain auditable.

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LLMS index: [llms.txt](/llms.txt)

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> [!CAUTION]
> Draft criterion, version 0.1. No provider result is implied by this page.

## Definition {#definition}

A service passes C5 when material downtime leaves an auditable record: timely
status, bounded impact, a substantive explanation, corrective action, and the
contractual remedy promised to affected customers. Perfect uptime is not the
test; accountable failure is.

## How to verify {#verify}

Compare the status timeline, customer-observed impact, incident report,
contractual SLA, claim process, compensation, and evidence of corrective work.
Record what is public, what is available only to affected customers, and what
remains unknown.

## Worked example {#example}

An incident with a timely status page but no scope, root cause, remediation, or
claim path is only partially accountable. A detailed report without a usable
remedy may also be partial; transparency and contractual accountability are
separate fields before they are combined.

## Boundaries and objections {#boundaries}

- C5 does not reward long reports for minor incidents or demand disclosure that creates a new security risk.
- Customer error and shared-responsibility failures remain in scope when the provider's controls or communication materially shaped the outcome.
- SLA credits are evidence of remedy, not proof that the business loss was made whole.