Privacy Policy
Your privacy is important to us. Learn how we collect, use, and protect your personal information.
Last updated: January 2025
Privacy at a Glance
What We Collect
- • Pet information and photos
- • General location (not exact coordinates)
- • App usage and preferences
- • Contact information for support
What We Don't Collect
- • Your exact home address
- • Personal financial information
- • Data from other apps
- • Sensitive personal details
Table of Contents
1. Information We Collect
Information You Provide
- Pet Information: Pet names, breeds, ages, descriptions, and photos you upload
- Account Information: Email address, username, and profile information
- Contact Information: Information you provide when contacting support
- Payment Information: Billing details processed securely through Apple's App Store
Information We Collect Automatically
- Usage Data: How you interact with the app, features used, and time spent
- Device Information: Device type, operating system, and app version
- Location Data: General area information (not exact coordinates) for nearby pet features
- Analytics Data: App performance, crashes, and user behavior patterns
2. How We Use Information
Core App Features
- • Create and manage your pet's PawCard
- • Connect with nearby pet owners
- • Send and receive pet spotting notifications
- • Provide breed identification through PawDex
- • Enable friend connections and messaging
Safety & Security
- • Send lost pet alerts to your community
- • Provide emergency contact information
- • Monitor for suspicious activity
- • Protect against fraud and abuse
- • Ensure app security and stability
Improvement & Analytics
- • Analyze app usage to improve features and performance
- • Understand user preferences to enhance the experience
- • Identify and fix bugs and technical issues
- • Develop new features based on user needs
- • Provide personalized recommendations
3. Information Sharing
We Never Sell Your Data
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.
When We Share Information
- With Other Users: Pet information and general location when you choose to share
- Service Providers: Trusted partners who help us operate the app (hosting, analytics, payments)
- Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect our rights and safety
- Emergency Situations: To protect the safety of pets and users in urgent situations
- Business Transfers: In the event of a merger or acquisition (with notice)
4. Data Security
Technical Safeguards
- • End-to-end encryption for sensitive data
- • Secure cloud storage with industry-standard protection
- • Regular security audits and updates
- • Access controls and authentication
- • Secure data transmission (HTTPS/TLS)
Operational Safeguards
- • Limited access to personal data
- • Employee training on data protection
- • Regular security monitoring
- • Incident response procedures
- • Data backup and recovery systems
5. Your Rights
Access Your Data
You can view all your personal information in the app settings or by contacting us.
Request Data Access →Update Your Information
You can update your pet information, profile details, and preferences anytime in the app.
Go to Settings → Account Management in the app
Delete Your Account
You can delete your account and all associated data at any time.
Request Account Deletion →Export Your Data
You can request a copy of all your data in a portable format.
Request Data Export →6. Location Data
Location Privacy - Opt-In Only
Location sharing is completely disabled by default. Your location is never shared unless you explicitly enable it from the map view. You have complete control over when and with whom you share your location.
How We Use Location
- Opt-In Sharing: Location sharing only works when you explicitly enable it. It's off by default.
- Choose Your Audience: When you enable location sharing, you choose whether to share with specific friends or all your friends.
- Map Location Sharing: Share your location directly from the map view when walking, with full control over who can see you.
- Map View: The map only shows users who are actively walking and have explicitly enabled location sharing.
- Safety Alerts: Community alerts and lost pet notifications are always visible regardless of location sharing settings.
Location Controls & Auto-Protection
- Off By Default: Location sharing is disabled by default and never automatic.
- Manual Control: You can turn location sharing on or off at any time with a single tap.
- Automatic Privacy Protection: If you stop moving, location sharing automatically turns off after 2 updates (6 minutes) with no movement to protect your privacy.
- Choose Your Audience: When sharing, you select whether to share with specific friends or all friends.
- Updates Every 3 Minutes: While walking and sharing, your location updates every 3 minutes. No continuous tracking.
- No Background Sharing: Location is only shared when you're actively using the app and have enabled sharing.
- You can disable location services anytime in your device settings
- Location data is automatically cleaned up when you stop sharing
7. Children's Privacy
PawCards is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.
If we discover we have collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly.
8. Data Retention
How Long We Keep Data
- Account Data: Until you delete your account
- Pet Information: Until you remove it or delete account
- Location Data: 30 days maximum
- Usage Analytics: 2 years (anonymized)
- Support Messages: 3 years
Automatic Deletion
- • Inactive accounts (2+ years) are automatically deleted
- • Location data is purged every 30 days
- • Temporary files are deleted immediately
- • Backup data is deleted within 90 days
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do:
- We will notify you through the app or by email
- We will post the updated policy on our website
- We will update the "Last updated" date at the top
- Significant changes will require your consent
10. Contact Us
Privacy Questions
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
Privacy & Legal
Data protection, privacy rights, and legal matters
privacy@pawcards.appResponse within 72 hours
General Support
Questions about the app, features, or general help
support@pawcards.appResponse within 2-3 days
Data Protection Officer
For complex privacy matters or data protection concerns, our Data Protection Officer is available at privacy@pawcards.app