Is a manga translator safe? What to check

A manga translator is safe to use when you know what it can access, where your pages go and how long they are kept. Check four things: the permissions it asks for, whether your pages leave your computer, how long they are stored and whether you need an account or payment details. No blog post can certify a tool, so treat this as a checklist you can run yourself.

1. What permissions does it ask for?

For a browser extension, the permissions are the most important check. They are the list of things the extension is allowed to see and do, and your browser shows them before you install.

The warning people search for most is read and change all your data on all websites. It means the extension is allowed to run on every site you open, including your email and your bank. Many translators ask for this because they do not know in advance which reader site you will use. It does not mean the extension misuses that access, but it is the widest access an extension can have.

All sites versus one site at a time

Some extensions ask for all sites when you install. Others ask for one site at a time, when you switch the extension on there. The second design limits what the extension can see to the sites you chose. The RuneManga extension is built the second way: nothing is granted at install, and the browser is asked for one site and its image hosts when you turn it on there.

How to check an extension's access

• Chrome and Edge: open the extensions page, choose Details for the extension and read Site access. It says whether the extension runs on click, on specific sites or on all sites, and you can change it.
• Firefox: open the add-ons page, choose the extension and open the Permissions tab. Look for the line about accessing your data for all websites.
• In every browser, the store listing shows the permissions before you install.

2. Where do your pages go?

Most manga translators process pages on a server, because the models need a GPU. That is normal, but it means your images leave your computer. Look for a privacy policy that says which servers handle the image and which parts go to other companies. At RuneManga, pages are processed on our own servers and GPU workers, and only the text found on a page goes to the translator: RuneLingua, our own, on the same GPU machines (for a few languages, another translation service named in our Privacy Policy).

3. How long are they kept?

Look for a stated retention time. RuneManga deletes uploads and results automatically about an hour after the job finishes, and does not use pages to train models. A policy that says images are kept as long as needed, without a number, gives you less to rely on.

4. Do you need an account or payment details?

A tool that asks for little holds less about you. RuneManga's WebApp needs only a free account, made with Google, Discord or an emailed link, so there is no password to leak, and card details stay with Whop, which handles payments.

A quick checklist

1. Read the permissions before installing, and prefer per-site access to all-sites access when you have the choice.
2. Find the privacy policy and look for the retention time.
3. Check who runs the tool and how to contact them.
4. Use only pages you have the right to process.
5. Do not send private or sensitive pages to any online translator.

Questions

• Is RuneManga safe? What happens to your pages
• Browser extension permissions explained
• Privacy