Terms of Service

Last updated: 14 June 2026.

1. Scope & operator

These Terms govern the use of the CritiqScans app and website (the "Service"), operated by Malik Albert (sole trader), c/o GAM, Pappelallee 64, 10437 Berlin, Germany ("we"). By registering or using the Service you accept these Terms. Our Privacy Policy and Legal Notice also apply.

2. Description of the Service

CritiqScans is a community platform for Manhwa, Manhua and Webtoons: users rate, review and discuss series and can keep a personal reading list. CritiqScans is not a reader and provides no chapter/work content. There is no claim to constant availability; we may change or discontinue features.

3. Account & minimum age

• An account is required for most features (email/password or "Sign in with Google").
• Minimum age: 16. By registering you confirm that you are at least 16 years old. The Service is not directed at children; accounts for persons under 16 are not permitted, and we may remove accounts where we become aware that this requirement is not met.
• All interaction on the Service is public (reviews, threads, comments); there are no private messages or direct-contact channels. We take proportionate measures to keep the Service safe and to act against illegal content (see Section 7).
• You are responsible for keeping your credentials confidential and for activity under your account. Information must be accurate; an account is not transferable.

4. User content (UGC) & licence

• "User content" is everything you submit (reviews, threads, comments, reactions, username, bio, profile photo, etc.).
• You keep your rights. You grant us a simple, worldwide, royalty-free, revocable licence to store, technically process (e.g. image sizes, formatting), display and make your content available within the Service — solely to operate and provide the Service. We do not use your content for external advertising or marketing. Upon deletion the active licence effects end (technical backups excepted, until routinely overwritten).
• Warranty: you only submit content for which you hold the necessary rights and which infringes no third-party rights (copyright, trademarks, personality rights) or laws.

5. Rules of conduct & prohibited content

The following are prohibited in particular:

• illegal content, hate speech, harassment, threats, doxxing;
• pornography/"hardcore" mature content as well as any sexualisation of minors (zero tolerance; leads to immediate suspension and, where applicable, reporting to authorities/NCMEC);
• spam, fraud, malware, automated mass scraping;
• links to scanlation/piracy sites or uploading chapter/work content;
• posting third-party or infringing images (including as an avatar), e.g. photos of other people without their consent or copyrighted works;
• impersonation, circumventing bans.

Please mark spoilers. We may further specify content rules.

6. Profile photos / avatars

Avatars are processed on the server (resizing, removal of metadata). The rules in Section 5 apply. We may remove avatars that violate these rules (see Moderation).

7. Moderation, reports & measures (DSA / online safety)

• Content and profiles can be reported via the "Report" feature (notice-and-action, Art. 16 DSA); alternatively via the DSA contact point in the Legal Notice.
• For violations we may remove/hide content, delete avatars, restrict features or suspend accounts. On removal you generally receive a statement of reasons; you may submit a counter-statement / appeal to the contact point.
• We do not monitor content proactively and exhaustively (no general monitoring obligation); upon knowledge of illegal content we act without undue delay. We operate proportionate measures against illegal content and to protect minors, in line with applicable online-safety rules.

8. Platform rights

Software, design, trademarks and other content of the Service (excluding user content and third-party works/covers) belong to us or our licensors. Cover images/metadata come from public sources and serve to identify the works; rights remain with the rights holders.

9. Copyright / complaints (incl. DMCA)

Rights holders can report alleged infringements via the contact point in the Legal Notice (identifying the work, the contested content, contact details, ownership). For US matters our DMCA Designated Agent is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office (registration no. DMCA-1074185):

Malik Albert c/o GAM, Pappelallee 64, 10437 Berlin, Germany Phone: +4915155594167 · Email: [email protected]

We remove infringing content as required by law and may suspend repeat infringers.

10. Liability & warranty

The Service is provided "as available". For our free services we are liable only for intent and gross negligence, as well as for injury to life, body or health and under mandatory law (e.g. product liability). Otherwise liability is limited as far as legally permissible; for slight negligence we are liable only for breach of essential contractual obligations and limited to the foreseeable, typical damage. Mandatory consumer rights remain unaffected. We give no warranty for user content and external links.

11. Term & termination

You can delete your account at any time in the settings (incl. data export). We may end the relationship for violations or good cause with reasonable notice — immediately for serious violations. Consequences of deletion: see the Privacy Policy.

12. Changes to these Terms

We may change these Terms for good reason (e.g. legal changes, new features). We will give reasonable prior notice of material changes. For consumers, material changes take effect only with your active consent — continued use alone is not treated as acceptance; if you do not consent, you may terminate your account. For non-consumers, changes are deemed accepted unless you object within a reasonable period or stop using the Service.

13. Governing law & jurisdiction

German law applies, excluding the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. Mandatory consumer-protection provisions of your country of habitual residence remain unaffected (Art. 6 Rome I). If you are a consumer, you may also sue/be sued at your place of residence. Otherwise the place of jurisdiction is Berlin.

14. Final provisions

Should any provision be invalid, the rest remains effective. Side agreements require text form. We provide these Terms in several languages. For consumers, the version in your own language (for consumers in Germany, the German version) is equally authoritative and prevails to the extent a translation would otherwise reduce mandatory consumer protections; for all other cases the English version is authoritative and translations are for convenience.