Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2, 2025

§ 1. Non-Commercial Nature

Studio Globe is a non-profit website. This website does not generate any profit or revenue. It is maintained as a free resource for the art & gaming communities to discover studios worldwide.

§ 2. Information We Collect

Studio Globe is designed to respect your privacy. We collect minimal information:

Location Data: We use your approximate location, derived from your IP address, solely to sort countries by proximity. This processing is carried out under the legal basis of legitimate interests, as it enables essential functionality of our service. IP-derived location data is processed only during your active session and is neither stored nor logged. We do not retain your IP address or associate it with any identifiable information. All processing is transient and designed to protect your privacy in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

§ 3. How We Use Information

The limited information we collect is used to:

Provide the distance-based country sorting feature

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your information to third parties. The only external services used are:

Cloudflare: For hosting the website and changelog data
IP Geolocation Service: To determine your approximate country for distance sorting

§ 5. Third-Party Data Processing and Providers

To deliver key functionality while maintaining minimal data collection, we rely on two third-party service providers. These providers process limited data (such as IP address) solely to enable the features described below and are selected based on their privacy compliance, including GDPR obligations.

§ 5.1. IP Geolocation Provider – ipapi by Kloudend, Inc.

We use ipapi to determine your approximate country location based on your IP address. This is used strictly to sort countries by distance and is not stored by us.

Data processed: Your IP address (temporarily, for geolocation purposes)
Purpose: To estimate your country location to sort countries by proximity
Provider details: Kloudend, Inc., 1887 Whitney Mesa Dr #4080, Henderson, NV 89014, USA
Privacy assurances:
- ipapi is GDPR-compliant and supports Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) for international data transfers
- IP address logs are kept only for limited periods and not sold or shared
- Users may contact ipapi directly for a Data Processing Agreement (DPA)

You can review their privacy policy here: ipapi.co Privacy Policy

§ 5.2. Web Hosting and CDN – Cloudflare, Inc.

We use Cloudflare to deliver our website content quickly and securely worldwide. Cloudflare acts as a Content Delivery Network (CDN) and security layer.

Data processed: IP addresses and basic connection metadata
Purpose: To ensure performance, reliability, and protection of our website
Provider details: Cloudflare, Inc., 101 Townsend St., San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
Privacy assurances:
- Cloudflare is GDPR-compliant and has SCCs in place
- It does not use IP data for profiling or advertising
- Logs are retained for limited periods for performance and security analysis

You can review their privacy policy here: Cloudflare Privacy Policy

§ 6. Data Storage

No personal data is permanently stored on our servers. All processing happens in your browser, and any temporary data is automatically deleted.

§ 7. Cookies and Local Storage

The site may use browser local storage to:

Cache page data to reduce loading times

No tracking cookies are used. You can clear your browser's local storage at any time.

§ 8. External Links

The site contains links to studio websites and other external sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites.

§ 9. Children's Privacy

This website is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

§ 10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated date.

§ 11. Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy, please contact us through the email at privacy@aedan.games.

§ 12. Your Rights

Since we collect minimal data and don't store personal information, there's typically no personal data to access, modify, or delete. However, you can:

Clear your browser's local storage and cache
Disable location services in your browser
Use private/incognito browsing mode

§ 13. Controller Information

The data controller responsible for the processing of your personal data under this Privacy Policy is:
Aedan Soellaart
Email: privacy@aedan.games

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have certain rights under the GDPR regarding your personal data. These rights include:

Right of Access – You have the right to request access to any personal data we may hold about you.
Right to Rectification – You have the right to request correction of inaccurate personal data.
Right to Erasure (Right to Be Forgotten) – You have the right to request deletion of your personal data, under certain conditions.
Right to Restrict Processing – You have the right to request a restriction on the processing of your data.
Right to Data Portability – You have the right to receive any personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
Right to Object – You have the right to object to processing based on our legitimate interests.
Right to Lodge a Complaint – You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe our processing of your personal data violates the GDPR.

Please note that we collect and process only minimal, non-identifiable data (e.g., approximate country location via IP) which is not stored or retained. Nonetheless, we will assess and respond to any request you submit in line with our obligations under GDPR.

You may exercise your rights by contacting us at: privacy@aedan.games

§ 14.1 Legitimate Interests Assessment

Our processing of your approximate location (derived from IP address) is based on our legitimate interests under Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Specifically, this data is used to provide the core functionality of sorting countries by distance.

In accordance with guidelines from Datatilsynet (The Norwegian Data Protection Authority), we have carried out a Legitimate Interests Assessment (LIA) to ensure that:

The processing is necessary for the intended purpose (core app functionality)
The data used is minimal and non-identifiable (country-level only, not stored)
The privacy impact on users is low and proportionate
Users retain control through browser settings and privacy features

If you would like more information about our LIA or how we balance our interests with your rights and freedoms, you may contact us at privacy@aedan.games.

§ 14.2 International Data Transfers

We may use third-party service providers, such as Cloudflare and IP geolocation services, that are located outside of the EEA or process data in jurisdictions that may not provide the same level of data protection as your home country.

Where applicable, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your personal data, such as:

The use of Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission, or
Ensuring that the recipient country has an adequacy decision by the European Commission.

§ 14.3 Children's Policy

This site is not intended for individuals under the age of 16 in the European Economic Area.

For further information on these safeguards, or to request a copy, please contact us at: privacy@aedan.games