Policy overview
ST Studio provides Smart GIF Optimizer (the “App”), a free Windows desktop application. The App does not use account registration, payments, ads, behavioral analytics, or remote file uploads. Media selected by you and converted output are processed on your device and are not sent to an ST Studio server. The personal information ST Studio handles directly is mainly the information you provide if you choose to contact us by email.
1. Scope
This policy applies to local processing by the App and inquiries sent to ststudio1224@gmail.com. If you open an external website through the App’s help or website menu, your default browser connects directly to that site. Processing on that website is governed by the policy published there.
2. Information the App does not collect automatically
The App does not automatically transmit or collect the following information for ST Studio:
- GIF or video files you load, or their contents
- Media information such as file names, file paths, resolution, or duration
- Converted output and preview files
- Your presets and external-tool path settings
- Device identifiers, advertising identifiers, usage behavior, analytics, or crash reports
FFmpeg and Gifsicle run only on your device as separate executables included with the App. The App does not call a cloud server or external API to perform conversions.
3. Information stored on your device
The following information is processed on your device to provide App features. ST Studio cannot access or remotely delete it.
| Category | Details | Storage and deletion |
|---|---|---|
| Input media | Files you select and metadata required for conversion | The App reads them from their original location. You manage the files yourself. |
| Temporary conversion and preview files | Preview videos, estimated-size samples, conversion candidates, and pre-save output | Created under %TEMP%\gifcraft in the Windows temporary folder. Some files may remain after the App closes. You can use Windows temporary-file cleanup or delete that folder manually after closing the App. |
| App settings | FFmpeg and Gifsicle paths and your custom presets | May be stored in tool-paths.json and user-presets.json in Electron’s user-data folder. They may remain after uninstalling. You can delete those files or the user-data folder yourself. |
4. Personal information handled for email inquiries
If you choose to contact us by email, we handle the following information only as needed to respond.
| Information | Purpose | Legal basis | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required: sender email address and inquiry Optional: sender name, signature, attachments, and device or error details you voluntarily provide | Reviewing and answering inquiries, reproducing errors, and resolving service-related concerns | Article 15(1)(4) of Korea’s Personal Information Protection Act (responding to a request from the user) | Deleted one year after the final response |
Your email address and inquiry are required for a response. Without them, we cannot answer by email. Do not send sensitive or unnecessary personal information such as a resident registration number, financial data, or health information. If an inquiry contains personal information that is not needed, we may delete or redact it without delay.
5. Disclosure to third parties
ST Studio does not sell your personal information and generally does not disclose it to third parties. We may disclose only what is necessary when a specific law requires it or when we must respond to a lawful request from an investigative agency or court.
6. Gmail and overseas transfer or processing
ST Studio uses Google’s Gmail service to receive, store, and answer inquiry emails. When you send an inquiry, the following information may be transmitted through and stored on Google’s systems.
| Service provider | Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, California 94043, USA Contact: Google Privacy Help Center |
|---|---|
| Legal basis for overseas transfer or processing | Article 28-8(1)(3) of Korea’s Personal Information Protection Act (email transmission and storage necessary to answer an inquiry requested by the user) |
| Information processed | Sender email address, sender name, inquiry, attachments, and email transmission information |
| Purpose | Email transmission, spam and malware filtering, storage, and response |
| Timing and method | Transmitted over the network when you send the email |
| Processing locations | The United States and countries where Google operates data centers |
| Retention | ST Studio deletes inquiry emails one year after the final response. Deletion from Google system backups may take additional time under Google’s policies. |
Email inquiries are optional. You may choose not to send an email if you do not want overseas processing. However, because no non-email contact channel is currently offered, we may be unable to provide an individual response. Google operates servers worldwide for service reliability, so the actual processing country may not be fixed. See the Google Privacy Policy for more information about Google’s processing.
7. Deletion of personal information
- Inquiry emails are deleted without delay when the retention period ends and are also removed from the mail trash.
- If retention is required by law, only the required information is separated, retained for the statutory period, and then deleted.
- You delete media, temporary files, and settings stored on your device yourself.
8. Your rights and how to exercise them
You may request access to, correction or deletion of, or suspension of processing for your inquiry information held by ST Studio. Send requests to ststudio1224@gmail.com. If identity verification is necessary, we may request the minimum additional information. Unless applicable law provides a reason not to do so, ST Studio will act without delay and report the outcome. ST Studio does not hold information stored only on your device, so you must manage that information yourself.
9. Security measures
- Media is processed on your device to minimize external transmission.
- Access to inquiry information is limited, and access controls are applied to the email account.
- Inquiry information is deleted according to the stated retention period after its purpose is complete.
10. Automated decisions and behavioral data
The App does not use personal information for automated decisions, personalized advertising, user tracking, cookies, or behavioral-data collection.
11. Privacy and complaint contact
- Privacy contact: ST Studio
- Email: ststudio1224@gmail.com
- Hours: Weekdays 10:00–17:00 KST, excluding Korean public holidays
- Response time: Within three business days
For counseling or dispute resolution concerning a privacy infringement, you may also contact:
- Korea Internet & Security Agency Privacy Infringement Report Center: 118 within Korea
- Personal Information Dispute Mediation Committee: +82-1833-6972
12. Changes to this policy
If we add accounts, payments, cloud uploads, analytics, or another feature that changes how personal information is processed, we will update this policy before that processing begins. Changes and their effective date will be announced in documents included with the App or on the official distribution and information page.
Announcement and effective date: August 3, 2026