Privacy Policy
Updated: 24.05.2026
Hello and Welcome!
Kudos to you for taking an interest in your right to privacy. We not only respect it, we advocate for it.
The short version
This site is a plain static website. We don't run analytics, we don't set cookies, we don't have a newsletter, and we don't ask you for any personal information.
What we collect directly
Nothing. There is no comment system, no tracking script, and no cookie set by this site. The one exception is the optional coffee-chat booking on the contact page, which is handled by Cal.com rather than collected by us directly (see "If you book a coffee chat" below).
Server logs
This site is hosted on Hetzner Cloud in Germany and served by Caddy. The web server keeps short-lived access logs (timestamp, requested URL, response status, IP address, user agent) so we can keep the site online and investigate abuse. These logs are not shared with anyone and are not used to build a profile of you. Legal basis: GDPR Art. 6(1)(f), legitimate interest in operating and securing the website.
Third-party content embedded on this page
The landing page itself loads no third-party content on first paint. Capsule art is hosted on this server, the YouTube placeholder waits for your click, and outbound links to Steam, Bluesky, Mastodon, etc. are plain anchors that only fetch anything if you click them. If you do click out, those companies will see your IP address and basic request metadata. We do not control what they do with it; their own privacy policies apply.
- YouTube trailer: uses the lite-youtube-embed wrapper, self-hosted (inlined) on this server. YouTube itself doesn't load until you click play. Privacy: Google / YouTube.
- Steam wishlist link: clicking the capsule sends you to store.steampowered.com; their site loads only on click. Privacy: Valve / Steam.
- Coffee chat booking: the contact page offers an optional booking through Cal.com (their EU instance). The embed itself is self-hosted on this server, so nothing loads from Cal.com on first paint; the booking window only loads, and only receives any data, after you click "Book a Coffee Chat". Privacy: Cal.com.
If you email us
If you write to mail@smitner.studio, we'll see whatever you put in the email and we'll keep the message long enough to reply and to remember the conversation if you write again. Mail is handled by mailbox.org.
If you book a coffee chat
The contact page has an optional "Book a Coffee Chat" button. Clicking it opens a booking window served by Cal.com on their EU infrastructure. Whatever you enter there (typically your name, email address, and any notes) is sent to Cal.com to schedule the call, and on to us so we can meet you. Cal.com acts as our processor for this; their privacy policy applies. If you'd rather not, a plain email works just as well.
Your rights
Under the GDPR you have the right to access, correct, or delete any personal data we hold about you, to restrict or object to its processing, to data portability, and to lodge a complaint with a data protection authority. Since the only personal data we have is whatever you've sent us by email (and short-lived server access logs), exercising these is usually as simple as asking.
To make a request, email mail@smitner.studio.
Changes to this policy
If we change how the site handles data (for example, if we ever bring back a newsletter or add analytics), we'll update this page and bump the date at the top.
Your advocacy matters
For more resources, visit the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Thank you for your interest in Smitner.Studio and for valuing your digital rights!