Privacy Policy

1.1 Information You Provide

• Account information: name, email address, username, password, and profile photo when you register.
• Pet profiles: pet name, species, breed, age, photos, and health information you choose to share.
• Content: posts, comments, messages, photos, videos, and reels you upload or share.
• Vet information: if you register as a veterinary professional, your credentials, clinic address, and professional details.
• Payment information: if you use paid features, billing details processed securely through our payment provider.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device information: device type, operating system, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information.
• Location data: GPS coordinates when you enable location-based features (nearby discovery, playdates). You can disable this at any time.
• Usage data: pages visited, features used, interactions with content, search queries, and time spent on the platform.
• Cookies and similar technologies: session cookies, analytics cookies, and preference cookies. See our Cookie Policy for details.

1.3 Information from Third Parties

• Social logins: if you sign in via Google, Apple, or other providers, we receive basic profile information as permitted by your settings.
• Other users: information about you that other users provide, such as tagging you in posts or mentioning you in comments.

• Provide and maintain the PawConnect platform and its features.
• Personalize your experience, including the For You feed, nearby recommendations, and suggested connections.
• Enable location-based features such as nearby pet parent discovery, local playdates, and lost & found alerts.
• Facilitate communication between users through messages, comments, and community features.
• Connect pet owners with veterinary professionals for consultations and health record management.
• Send notifications about activity on your account, new features, and important updates.
• Analyze usage patterns to improve our services, fix bugs, and develop new features.
• Detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, and security issues.
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service.

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in these circumstances:

• With other users: Your public profile, posts, and pet profiles are visible to other PawConnect users based on your privacy settings.
• With service providers: We work with third-party companies for hosting, analytics, payment processing, and email delivery. They only access data needed to perform their services.
• For legal reasons: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or government regulation, or to protect our rights, safety, or property.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user data may be transferred as part of the transaction.
• With your consent: We may share information for purposes not listed here with your explicit consent.

PawConnect offers location-based features including nearby pet parent discovery, local playdates, and lost & found services. When you enable location:

• We collect your GPS coordinates to show nearby users, pets, and events.
• Your exact location is never shared with other users — only approximate distances are displayed.
• Location data is updated periodically while the app is in use and stored securely.
• You can disable location access at any time through your device settings or app privacy controls.
• We use a maximum radius of 100km for nearby discovery features.

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using TLS/SSL.
• Passwords are hashed using bcrypt and never stored in plain text.
• Access to user data is restricted to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis.
• We conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
• We use secure, reputable cloud infrastructure providers with SOC 2 compliance.

While we strive to protect your information, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure. We encourage you to use a strong password and enable two-factor authentication.

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information in your account settings.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data. Some data may be retained for legal or legitimate business purposes.
• Data portability: Request your data in a commonly used, machine-readable format.
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing emails, disable push notifications, or turn off location tracking.
• Restrict processing: Request that we limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.

To exercise these rights, visit your Account Settings or contact us at privacy@pawconnect.social.

• Active accounts: We retain your data for as long as your account is active.
• Deleted accounts: When you delete your account, we remove your personal data within 30 days. Some anonymized data may be retained for analytics.
• Content: Posts and media you've shared may persist in other users' feeds if they were re-shared. You can delete your content before account deletion.
• Legal holds: We may retain data longer if required by law or for ongoing legal proceedings.

PawConnect is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@pawconnect.social and we will take steps to delete such information promptly.

PawConnect operates globally. Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international transfers, including Standard Contractual Clauses where required by applicable law.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting a notice on the platform or sending an email to your registered address. Your continued use of PawConnect after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, contact us at: