Community Guidelines

1. Who these guidelines are for

Readality is an XR-native reading platform for comics, graphic novels, manga, bandes dessinées and webtoons. These Community Guidelines apply to everyone on the platform: independent creators and publishers who upload Content, and readers who post comments, reviews, profile information or take part in co-reading rooms and other social features.

They set out the categories of content that are prohibited or restricted on the platform, and the conduct we expect in shared spaces. They exist to keep Readality a safe, welcoming place for a wide range of stories and readers, and to protect the creators who publish here. We may update them from time to time by publishing an amended version on the platform, with notice of material changes as described in the Terms of Use and the Independent Creator Agreement.

These guidelines describe our standards; they are not legal advice. You remain responsible for complying with all laws that apply to your Content in the places where it is made available. Nothing here limits our ability to act on illegal, pornographic or hateful content, or on any other content we are permitted or required to act on by law.

2. Rights and ownership

You must own, or have secured, every copyright and other intellectual property right in what you upload, and your Content must not infringe the copyright, trademark, image, publicity, privacy or other rights of anyone else. If you build on another work, you need the rights to do so.

• Do not upload work you do not have the rights to publish, and do not post or link to pirated copies of anyone's work, whether hosted on Readality or elsewhere.
• Do not misrepresent authorship or pass off someone else's work as your own.
• Rights holders can request removal of infringing Content through our Copyright Policy. We operate a repeat-infringer policy: depending on severity, an account may receive a warning, be restricted, or be suspended or terminated, and a single serious report can be enough to act.

When you publish as a creator, the commercial terms of your relationship with Readality are governed by the Independent Creator Agreement, including your representations and warranties about the rights in your Content.

3. Content ratings

Readality hosts a wide range of stories, and readers deserve to know what they are opening. You are responsible for rating your series accurately.

• All Ages / Teen. Content suitable for a general or teen audience, with no mature themes beyond mild conflict.
• Mature. Content that includes strong language, intense violence, substantial blood or gore, sustained horror, sexual themes or other adult subject matter. If your series contains any of these, rate it Mature.

Rating a series Mature does not permit content that is otherwise prohibited under Section 4. A rating describes intensity for readers; it is not a licence to cross the absolute lines below. We may adjust a rating, restrict a work to certain audiences or regions, or remove it if it is mis-rated or if a rating is not enough to make it acceptable on the platform.

4. Content standards

Stories can be dark, uncomfortable and challenging. What matters is whether difficult material serves the work, and whether it crosses a line that has no place on Readality. The standards below apply to all Content, including cover art, thumbnails and promotional materials.

a) Child safety: zero tolerance

We have zero tolerance for any sexualization of minors. Content that sexualizes, or depicts in a sexual or romantic context, any real or fictional character who is a minor or is presented as a minor is strictly prohibited and will be removed. This includes child sexual abuse material of any kind. We report such material to the appropriate authorities and terminate the accounts responsible. This standard is absolute and admits no artistic, satirical or narrative exception.

b) Sexual content

Sexual themes and discussion are allowed in appropriately rated work. Content whose sole purpose is sexual gratification is not. In practice:

• Nudity. Full frontal or rear nudity is not allowed. Where nudity is implied, any censoring must be a natural part of the imagery, not black boxes or mosaic overlays pasted on afterward. Characters in minimal attire or suggestive poses must have clear narrative relevance, without gratuitous sexualization.
• Explicit sexual acts. Graphic or explicit depictions of sexual acts, intercourse or the explicit use of sex toys are not allowed. Sexual content must be contextually relevant to the story and never solely intended to gratify.
• Sexual violence. Content that glorifies, romanticizes, promotes or encourages sexual violence or non-consensual acts is not allowed.
• Illegal sex acts. Explicit storytelling or depiction of illegal sex acts, including bestiality, necrophilia and incest, is not allowed. Anything sexualizing minors falls under Section 4(a) and is absolutely prohibited.

c) Violence and graphic content

Violence has a place in storytelling; gratuitous cruelty presented for its own sake does not. Prohibited content includes:

• Brutal, extended, graphic violence with no meaningful context;
• Content that glorifies, promotes, or gives instructions for inflicting harm on people or animals;
• Depictions or descriptions that function as real instructions for assembling, enhancing or acquiring weapons or explosives.

Any censoring of graphic imagery must be a natural part of the art, not a box or mosaic laid over it. Work with heavy blood or gore must be rated Mature.

d) Hateful and abusive content

We adopt a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech and discrimination. Content that promotes or incites violence or hatred against individuals or groups on the basis of race, ethnic origin, national origin, religion, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation or similar characteristics is not allowed. This includes hate symbols used without meaningful, critical context. Stories may examine prejudice and its consequences; they may not use stereotypes to glorify, encourage or incite hatred or violence.

e) Self-harm and suicide

Content that encourages self-harm or suicide, or that can reasonably be read as instructions for self-injury, is not allowed, as is graphic depiction of self-harm designed only to shock. Themes of self-harm, eating disorders, addiction and suicidal ideation are permitted when they are contextually relevant and handled to build awareness or share lived experience rather than to glamorize or instruct. If you believe someone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.

f) Dangerous, illegal and deceptive content

You are responsible for complying with all applicable laws. Content that features, encourages, solicits or gives real instructions for dangerous or illegal activity is prohibited and may be reported to authorities. This includes:

• Extremism and terrorism. Content that glorifies, praises or romanticizes real-world violent hate groups, figures or extremist organizations.
• Drugs and alcohol. Content that promotes, glamorizes or normalizes the use of illegal drugs or the abuse of legal ones. Addiction may be portrayed, but as the self-destructive behaviour it is.
• Harmful disinformation. Content designed to spread false information that could cause real-world harm, including denial of documented atrocities and false or deceptive medical claims that threaten public health.

5. Regional availability

Readality is used around the world, and what is acceptable or lawful in one region may not be in another. We may restrict the availability of Content in specific regions where it violates local law or cultural and legal norms, and we may ask you to adjust or remove Content that poses a significant legal or reputational risk in a given territory. Creators are responsible for understanding the laws that apply where their Content is offered, including laws on depictions of violence, sexual content, hate speech, historically sensitive events, and regulated activities such as gambling or controlled substances.

6. Spatial, audio and immersive elements

Readality is XR-native, so your Content can carry spatial layouts, animation, ambient environments and sound. Those augmented elements must meet the same standards as the artwork and text they accompany. In addition:

• Do not use flashing, strobing or rapidly shifting light patterns that create a seizure risk. XR is immersive and physically felt; effects that could reasonably harm or disorient a reader are not allowed.
• Do not use audio, haptics or spatial effects designed to startle for its own sake in a way that risks physical harm in a headset.
• Immersive effects should serve the reading experience, not overwhelm it. We may require adjustment of elements that create comfort or safety concerns in XR.

7. Spam, manipulation and deceptive promotion

• Do not upload Content whose primary purpose is to drive traffic to external sites or services, or to route readers to open, unrestricted adult content.
• Do not post unwanted or unsolicited links, and clearly identify any sponsored Content as sponsored.
• Do not artificially inflate views, unlocks, ratings, readership or engagement, whether through automated means, coordinated schemes or multiple accounts. This mirrors the acceptable-use rules in the Terms and the Creator Agreement, and can result in loss of monetization and removal.
• Do not create Content or accounts primarily to bypass these guidelines or their enforcement.

8. Conduct in shared spaces

Comments, reviews, profiles and co-reading rooms are part of Readality, and the standards above apply to how you behave in them. Do not harass, threaten, bully or abuse other people, post hateful or discriminatory remarks, share others' private information, impersonate anyone, or flood shared spaces with spam. Co-reading rooms are shared reading environments; they grant no access to content a participant has not unlocked, and they are not a channel for redistributing Content. Treat other readers and creators the way you would want to be treated in a room with them.

9. Reporting and moderation

If you come across Content or behaviour that breaks these guidelines, use the report option on the relevant series, episode or comment, or contact us at arthur.loubaresse@readality.com. Our team reviews reported material and acts proportionately based on the severity and history of the violation.

As described in the Terms of Use and the Independent Creator Agreement, we may use automated and human tools to review, monitor and moderate Content and conduct. Depending on the case, we may remove or restrict Content, apply or change a rating, limit a work to certain audiences or regions, issue a warning, restrict features, or suspend or terminate an account, with or without prior notice where permitted by law. Content that draws multiple credible reports may be restricted pending review. Serious violations, including anything under Section 4(a), can result in immediate removal and termination.

10. Removal notifications and appeals

If an episode or series you have published is removed for violating these guidelines, you will receive a notification that explains the reason for the removal and how to appeal. You can take one of three paths.

• Revise the episode yourself. If you understand the violation and know how to fix it, edit the episode to bring it into line with these guidelines, then resubmit it for review and notify our team using the instructions in your notification.
• Revise it with our support team. If you need help understanding the violation or figuring out how to fix it, contact us at arthur.loubaresse@readality.com and a team member will explain the issue and give feedback on the changes needed. Because this involves rounds of human review before reinstatement, it can take some time to complete.
• Appeal without revising. If you believe the removal was a mistake and your content does not break these guidelines, you can appeal without making changes by sending a clear, concise explanation of why you believe the decision was wrong. We will re-evaluate the original decision.

Once your appeal is reviewed, you will receive a final notification with one of these outcomes:

• Appeal approved. We accept your appeal and your content is restored.
• Original decision upheld. The original decision stands and your content remains removed. This outcome is final; to have the work reinstated you would need to revise it and submit it for re-review.
• New decision. In some cases a different moderation action is more appropriate, and we apply that instead.

You can also write to arthur.loubaresse@readality.com if we have restricted your account and you believe it was in error. Certain categories, such as content that sexualizes minors, are not eligible for reinstatement.

11. Language

These Community Guidelines have been drawn up in French and in English. The French version was made available first, in accordance with the Charter of the French Language (Quebec); by using the English version, you confirm that you have had the opportunity to examine the French version, available at readality.com/community-guidelines-fr.html, and expressly wish to be bound by the English version.

12. Contact

Questions or feedback about these guidelines? Reach us at arthur.loubaresse@readality.com, or by mail at Readality Inc., 1455 Blvd. De Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M8, Canada.