Here’s everything about MyAnimeList being safe to use:
While the answer to this question will depend on your particular safety concerns, it can generally be stated that this is a safe website.
MyAnimeList is not participating in any directly malicious activity, and there is no malicious software associated with the site.
It’s also committed to legally sourcing all content.
So if you want to learn all about how safe it is to use MyAnimeList, then this article is for you.
Keep reading!
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What Is Myanimelist?
If you haven’t used it, MyAnimeList is one of the most popular resources for keeping up with the anime and manga worlds.
It started out as a directory of shows and mangas that made it easy for people to keep track of what content they had already consumed.
It grew from there, and today, it provides direct links that let you watch anime or read manga.
It also allows you to create reviews of anything you consume.
On top of all of that, it fosters a whole community of anime and manga lovers and provides a place for them to connect and interact.
Why Wouldn’t MyAnimeList Be Safe? (4 Reasons)
Considering what MyAnimeList is and how it works, it seems like it isn’t the most dangerous website imaginable.
A directory of anime and place for reviews seems pretty innocuous.
But, MyAnimeList does provide resources to watch streams or read manga, and it has a large, active community.
That means that certain risks do exist.
While MyAnimeList isn’t involved in any known nefarious activity (like pushing viruses to users), there are general safety concerns that do arise.
Does the website track you?
Could someone exploit the site to go after you?
Is it safe for kids?
We’ll look at these ideas in more detail.
We’ll cover the risks and what (if anything) MyAnimeList does to provide some level of safety.
#1 Cookies
MyAnimeList does track cookies.
More accurately, it gives you a choice to have cookies tracked when you use the site.
If you load it up for the first time, there should be a message discussing cookies and your options for interacting with them.
Now, cookie tracking is not inherently dangerous. Most websites track cookies to at least some extent.
This is a practice that makes it easier for a website to load when you come back, and it helps your experience by remembering some of the things you’ve done with the site.
As an example, MyAnimeList can use cookies to keep track of which episodes of an anime you have watched, even if you don’t have an account.
Cookies do include user data, and some sites sell that data.
Generally speaking, MyAnimeList does not participate in malicious behavior related to your cookies.
We’ll talk more about how you can control cookie interactions, but the gist is that you’re already pretty safe with this website.
#2 Unsecured Connections
Another issue with websites is unsecured connections.
If a website doesn’t encrypt traffic that interacts with it, then third parties can potentially steal information and spy on interactions that take place through the site.
With MyAnimeList, this isn’t a high risk.
The website isn’t taking financial information from you, and it doesn’t require you to provide personal information that could put you at risk.
More importantly, MyAnimeList is a secured site. It uses HTTPS, which is an industry-standard encryption method.
Your interactions on the site are difficult to track or intercept, from a third-party perspective.
#3 Data Tracking
Cookies are not the only way a website can track you.
Any information you put into the site is ultimately stored on that site’s servers.
Personal information could potentially be used to steal your identity or create other problems.
Outside of that, websites also generate a lot of anonymized data.
Big tech is known for using this information to inform their algorithms, target ads, and do all kinds of other things.
How does MyAnimeList stack up in each regard?
When it comes to personal information, the site doesn’t require you to provide any.
So, there’s not a lot for MyAnimeList to track in the first place.
There’s even less to sell to third parties.
As for user statistics, MyAnimeList does keep track of this.
It is anonymized data, so no one can go through it to see anything specific about you.
If you don’t like statistical tracking in general, then you might not like MyAnimeList.
If this type of anonymous tracking doesn’t bother you, then the site is fine to use.
#4 Kids on the Site
Kids using MyAnimeList are subject to the same experience as adults.
If there are adult shows or manga on the site, kids can conceivably find and view them.
The site does provide content warnings, but it does not have robust measures in place that prevent kids from viewing things that are flagged for more mature audiences.
MyAnimeList also fosters a lot of community engagement.
It’s a site where people can write/read reviews and have conversations about anime and manga.
The site does take measures to censor any nudity in these discussions, but it does not heavily censor words.
A child on the site could be exposed to foul language of varying degrees.
So, while the computer is pretty safe while using MyAnimeList, a child’s experience will depend on how they use the site.
Automated child safety features are not very strong.
How Can Users Protect Themselves When Using MyAnimeList? (4 Points)
Ok. We’ve looked at the risks associated with MyAnimeList and what the site does to try to mitigate those risks.
Generally speaking, it’s safer than the majority of online anime resources. That’s part of why it is so highly regarded and popular.
But, not all safety on the internet comes down to the people running websites.
You have a lot of direct control over your own internet safety.
So, we can now look into measures you can take that will bolster the safety of your experience when you use MyAnimeList.
A lot of these tips are good for using other websites too.
#1 Manage Cookies
You’re not entirely at the mercy of websites when it comes to cookie management.
Every major browser in the business gives you some level of control as to how cookies are generated and utilized.
You can go through your browser settings and adjust things until you feel more comfortable.
Even if you give MyAnimeList permission to track cookies, your browser settings will impact what information is available and how it can be used.
You can add to this with security software.
If you have an antivirus suite or other protective apps, then they can add a layer of control to your cookies and how they interact with websites.
Look through those options and pick the settings that feel the best to you.
Even if you leave things completely unsecured, cookie tracking does not represent a significant risk when you use MyAnimeList.
So, you can rest easy on this one.
#2 Use Discretion With Account Creation
As stated before, you don’t have to provide any personal information at all in order to use MyAnimeList.
But, if you want to get the most out of the platform, you might find it easier to create an account.
With account creation, you don’t have to provide your name, address, or other important pieces of information.
The only things MyAnimeList asks for are an email address, username, and password.
As long as you’re smart about the email address and username you provide, there is no compromising information included there.
Alternatively, you can sign up with third-party accounts, like your Google, Apple, Facebook, or Twitter account.
Depending on how you set up these accounts, personal information might be included.
Even though MyAnimeList isn’t giving out personal information collected by the site, these tidbits could put you at more risk if MyAnimeList is ever hacked.
Here’s the bottom line.
Try to avoid including anything you wouldn’t want a stranger to know in your sign-up information.
#3 Stick to Legal Resources
There’s a different element of safety that hasn’t really been covered yet.
Is MyAnimeList safe in a legal sense?
There is plenty of piracy on the internet, and even accidentally participating could put you at risk of legal action.
MyAnimeList goes to great lengths to ensure that everything on the site is legal.
The curators work with licensed publishers to provide access to shows and manga that are legal to view and return revenue to the original creators.
Because of this, some content is not free on the site.
That’s because of the license agreements.
If you want to ensure that everything you do on MyAnimeList is legal, then stay within the site’s domain.
If content is only available with a subscription or payment, then that’s what you have to deal with in order to keep things legal.
Keep in mind that MyAnimeList is not collecting payments for these publishers.
Instead, they can link you to the original publisher (Crunchyroll is a popular example).
Any payments you make are managed by that original publisher, so your safety concerns rest there, and not with MyAnimeList.
#4 Consider Child Controls
At last, we get back to underage users.
As mentioned before, MyAnimeList does try to censor adult content, but those measures are quite limited.
If you want to be certain that a minor is not seeing things on MyAnimeList that you wish to avoid, then you’ll need to take additional steps.
You can implement parental controls on the device used to visit the site.
Those controls can add to the automation that tries to manage what the child sees.
You can block the site altogether, if you’re worried about how your child will use the site.
You can also focus on non-digital intervention.
You can have conversations with your child about safe behavior on the internet.
There are a lot of options, but it all comes down to a simple concept.
It’s up to you how safe you feel your child is with any website.
MyAnimeList is not promoting dangerous or unacceptable behavior, but it isn’t providing perfect protection either.
- Is Zoro.to Safe? 6 Important Things You Must Know!
- Funimation: Safe to Use?
- AniMixPlay.to Virus Concerns: Safe to Use?
- Anime-Planet: Safe to Use?
- Is MangaOwl.Net Safe to Use?
