If I use Deepgram Voice Agent and specify Cartesia or ElevenLabs as the TTS provider, does my ZDR guarantees apply to them downstream as well?
#Does zero data retention policy apply to Cartesia/ElevenLabs downstream providers?
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Zero Data Retention (ZDR) with Deepgram applies to how Deepgram stores and uses your data. The provided docs and discussions do not state that Deepgram’s ZDR policy is inherited or enforced by downstream TTS providers such as Cartesia or ElevenLabs.
Key points from the sources:
- Deepgram’s own data handling and retention are governed by its Terms, Privacy Policy, and (optionally) the Model Improvement Partnership Program, which explicitly scopes what Deepgram may store and use for model improvement, and states data is not redistributed to third parties without permission.[Model improvement]
- Deepgram lists third‑party subprocessors and links to each party’s own privacy policy; Cartesia AI appears there as a subprocessor handling “Interactive Text,” which indicates it is an independent processor with its own terms.[Subprocessors]
- The Voice Agent docs treat Cartesia and ElevenLabs as third‑party TTS providers that you can call via endpoints and API keys you configure; their docs are explicitly linked for configuration and voice IDs, and you are directed to their own APIs and documentation.[TTS models; BYO TTS; Cartesia config]
- Deepgram’s Privacy Policy states that when you use third‑party sites or services, “Your browsing and interaction on any other website or service are subject to the applicable third party’s rules and policies, not ours.”[Privacy §10]
From these, the only safe, documented conclusion is:
- Deepgram’s ZDR / data-retention guarantees cover Deepgram’s handling of your data.
- Whether Cartesia or ElevenLabs store or retain your audio/text is governed by their own privacy policies and terms, not Deepgram’s. The Deepgram docs do not say that ZDR extends or is contractually flowed down to these providers.
So:
- If you require strict zero data retention end‑to‑end, you must:
- Use a TTS provider whose own policies/contract explicitly meet your ZDR requirements, and
- Confirm this directly in that provider’s documentation or contract (Cartesia / ElevenLabs), since the Deepgram docs provided here do not make any guarantee on their behalf.