Privacy Policy

What happens to the photo I upload

We use your photo to identify the subject and create your string art pattern. As soon as your design has been generated, we delete the original photo.

We keep only the design itself, which is the order in which the string moves between the nails, and a small square crop of your photo so you can compare it with your design while you're choosing your style.

If a design fails to generate, we may keep the original photo for up to 7 days so you can try again. After that, it is automatically deleted.

Photos can contain hidden information such as when and where they were taken and what device was used. We remove this information as soon as your photo is uploaded, before we process it.

When we delete the cropped photo

As soon as you confirm a design, we delete the cropped photo we kept for comparison. Once you've chosen your design, we no longer need to keep it.

If you don't confirm a design, the cropped photo and any unconfirmed designs are automatically deleted after 90 days.

If you upload a photo but don't generate a design from it, the photo is automatically deleted after 24 hours.

What we keep while you're creating

While you're creating your String Story, we keep your email address, access code, confirmed designs and your progress through each design. We save your progress so you can stop at any time and continue where you left off, even if you switch to another device.

We don't use passwords. You sign in using a secure link sent to your email address.

We don't store your name, delivery address or payment details on the String Story Studio platform. Your order and payment information are handled separately through our online store.

Deleting your data

You can delete your kit and its associated data at any time using the Delete this kit button at the bottom of your designs page.

This permanently deletes the data we hold for that kit, including your designs and saved progress. This cannot be undone, so if you're part-way through creating your artwork, your progress will also be lost.

You can also email [email protected] if you'd like us to delete your data, tell you what information we hold about you, or correct any information that is inaccurate.

If you stop using String Story

If there is no activity on your kit for 24 months, we will delete the remaining data associated with it. We will email you 30 days before this happens.

If you'd like to keep your kit active, simply sign in before the deletion date.

Backups

We keep encrypted backups to protect your designs and progress in case something goes wrong with our systems.

Your original photo is never included in our backups. It is deliberately excluded, so when we delete your original photo, it is not retained in a backup.

When you delete your data, it is removed from our live system immediately. Copies that may remain in encrypted backups are automatically deleted within 90 days. Backups are not used to restore individual deleted files or accessed as part of our normal operations.

Our backups are encrypted before they leave our server, and the company that stores them cannot read their contents.

Who else is involved

We use a small number of trusted service providers to operate String Story Studio.

Some providers help us send emails, host our systems, protect the website from abuse and maintain encrypted backups. They only receive or process the information necessary to provide those services.

Every request to String Story Studio passes through Cloudflare's network before reaching our server. This means Cloudflare processes technical information such as your IP address and the pages you request. Cloudflare also provides security services for the website and stores our encrypted backups.

Our backups are encrypted before they leave our server, so the provider storing them cannot read their contents.

Some of our service providers operate outside Australia, including in the United States, which means certain information, such as your email address, may be processed overseas. Our primary server and database are hosted in Australia.

Cookies and browser storage

String Story Studio uses one essential cookie to keep you signed in. It is created when you open a sign-in link and contains a reference to your session. It does not contain your email address, access code or information about your designs.

The cookie is removed when you sign out and otherwise expires after 30 days.

Some preferences are stored only on your device, including your light or dark theme, winding player settings, chosen voice and background music, and whether you've already seen the introductory tour. This information is not sent to our server and can be removed by clearing your browser's site data.

We do not use advertising or analytics cookies on String Story Studio, and we do not use cookies or browser storage to track you across other websites.

Cloudflare may temporarily store information in your browser when performing the security check on our sign-in form.

Our online store is separate from String Story Studio and uses its own cookies and similar technologies. You can find more information in our online store's Privacy Policy.

Your IP address

Like most websites, String Story Studio receives your IP address when you use the site.

We use it to help protect the website from misuse, including repeated attempts to access the sign-in system. These security checks are temporary and are not used to build a profile about you.

Your IP address may also appear in our server logs and be processed by the service providers that help us host and protect String Story Studio.

We do not use your IP address for advertising or to track your activity across other websites.

If the photo is of somebody else

You may upload a photo of someone else, such as a partner, child, family member or friend. By uploading a photo, you confirm that you have the right or permission to use it.

If someone shown in a photo would like it removed, they can email [email protected] and we'll help with the request.

If there is a data breach

If a data breach occurs, we will take steps to contain it, understand what happened and protect the people affected.

If your personal information is involved and the breach could cause you harm, we will notify you and explain what happened, what information was involved and what steps you can take.

If you have any concerns about your privacy or how we handle your information, email [email protected] and we'll respond to your request.

If you're not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.