About Authenk’s Terms of Use
The Authenk Terms of Use set out the rules for using the service and clarify every user’s rights and obligations.
By using the Authenk website, you fully accept these Terms of Use.
These Terms of Use provide an essential legal framework for responsible and transparent use of the service.
Article 1 — Purpose
Authenk provides services for:
- cryptographic certification of files
- certificate verification
- consulting the Merkle journal
Article 2 — Access to the service
The website is available around the clock except during maintenance or events of force majeure.
Authenk does not guarantee that the service will be entirely free of errors or interruptions.
Article 3 — Use of the service
Users agree to:
- not attempt to use the service for unlawful purposes
- certify only files for which they hold the necessary rights
- not intentionally overload the service
Article 4 — Authenk’s liability
Authenk cannot be held liable for:
- misuse of certificates
- loss of data on the user’s side
- legal consequences of certifying a file
- Authenk does not check or verify users’ real identities, the origin of certified content or the accuracy of information associated with files, listings or documents submitted for certification.
- Use of an Authenk certificate in a listing, sale, public post or transaction between users does not mean that Authenk endorses the seller, the offer, the subject of the transaction or its legitimacy.
Article 5 — Intellectual property
The Authenk system, website and content are protected by French law.
Article 6 — Personal data
Processing is described in the Privacy policy.
Article 7 — Changes to the Terms of Use
Authenk may change these Terms of Use at any time.
Users will be informed of significant updates.
Article 8 — Applicable law
These Terms of Use are governed by French law.
Additional information
To use the service effectively, users are encouraged to consult this Terms of Use page regularly. It may change as the Authenk service develops, new features are added or applicable legal standards change. Users are therefore encouraged to check for changes and remain informed of their rights and obligations.
Using the Authenk service also requires a clear understanding of how certification works technically. The system creates a unique cryptographic fingerprint to establish the integrity of certified files. This fingerprint is not a file and contains no personal or confidential user data. It serves only as technical proof and cannot be used to reconstruct or access the original content.
Users should also note that Authenk certification is not an automatic legal validation. It provides digital proof of integrity, but the legal interpretation or use of that proof depends on the context and the authorities or organizations to which it is presented. Authenk cannot guarantee the legal interpretation of a certification but provides a reliable and transparent tool to show whether a file has changed since its certification date.
Access to services may be temporarily interrupted for maintenance, technical updates, security improvements or exceptional circumstances beyond Authenk’s control. In such cases, Authenk strives to limit the duration and impact of interruptions on users.
In general, users are responsible for keeping their files and for how they use the certificates created. Authenk does not store files and cannot assist if a file is lost, destroyed or altered on the user’s side. The user who certifies a file therefore remains responsible for maintaining the integrity of the original. This supports responsible use of the service.
Users are also encouraged to keep a copy of their original files before certification. This precaution helps avoid confusion about a document’s original state and improves traceability. Authenk provides only a technical tool for checking file integrity; use, retention and management of documents remain entirely the user’s responsibility. This additional information aims to make the service clearer and more transparent.
To get started with Authenk, create an account on the Sign up page, explore our Pricing or learn more about the service on the About Authenk page.
Article 9 — User accounts, plans and quotas
Access to Authenk services requires a personal user account.
Each account is linked to a plan (free or paid) that determines available features and the certification quotas applicable over a given period.
Quotas are the maximum number of certifications permitted under a given plan.
Once a quota has been reached, access to relevant features may be temporarily restricted until the period renews or the user moves to a higher plan.
Authenk reserves the right to change plan characteristics, quotas and features, provided users are informed.
Article 10 — Paid services and payment terms
Some Authenk services are available only through paid plans.
Payments are handled by a secure third-party payment provider.
Authenk does not store bank card data.
A payment incident, rejected transaction or interruption involving the payment provider may temporarily suspend access to the affected paid services.
The applicable prices are those displayed on the website at the time of subscription.
Article 11 — Account suspension and termination
Authenk reserves the right to suspend or terminate access to a user account, temporarily or permanently, in the event of:
- breach of these Terms of Use,
- abusive or fraudulent use of the service,
- an attempt to compromise the security or integrity of the platform,
- failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations.
Users may stop using the service and request deletion of their accounts at any time, subject to legal retention obligations.
Article 12 — Electronic evidence and technical value of certifications
Computer records, journals, cryptographic fingerprints (hashes), timestamps and certificates generated by Authenk constitute technical evidence attesting to a file’s integrity on a given date.
These elements do not constitute automatic legal validation, but may be used as technical proof in procedures requiring a demonstration of a file’s integrity or prior existence.
Article 13 — Effective date and acceptance of the Terms of Use
These Terms of Use take effect when published online.
Continued use of the service after any change to the Terms of Use constitutes unreserved acceptance of the new terms.
Article 14 — Severability
If any provision of these Terms of Use is declared void or unenforceable, the other provisions remain fully valid and applicable.
Article 15 — Competent court
In a dispute concerning the interpretation or performance of these Terms of Use, and failing an amicable settlement, the French courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
External references
For further information about digital regulations, see the relevant page on the French government’s website.
For further information about data security, Mozilla’s recommendations may also be useful.