App privacy policy

The controller for data processing in the PetConnect app is Simplify Data GmbH, Königsweg 48, 24114 Kiel, Germany.

Email: info@pet-connect.eu

This privacy policy applies to the PetConnect mobile app for iOS and Android. The privacy policy published there applies to the website pet-connect.eu. The app terms of use supplement this policy.

Terms of use: https://pet-connect.eu/nutzungsbedingungen

With PetConnect you manage your pets’ data, find service providers, dog parks, walking groups and events near you, and share pet data with selected recipients. To do this we process the data you enter and technical data generated during use.

We do not sell personal data and do not show personalised advertising from ad networks.

We store account, pet and usage data as well as uploaded files with a cloud service provider in a data centre in Frankfurt am Main (EU).

Editorial content such as the blog, shop, events and danger radar is operated on servers of Contabo GmbH in Germany; related images and files are stored in Contabo GmbH object storage in the EU.

We have concluded data processing agreements with these providers in accordance with Art. 28 GDPR. Data is transmitted between the app and our servers in encrypted form (TLS).

For registration we process your first and last name, email address, password (stored only in encrypted form) and chosen language. In your profile you can optionally add a profile picture and your date of birth.

You can also sign in with Google or Apple. We then receive your name and email address from the respective provider (with Apple, possibly a relay address). The privacy policies of Google or Apple also apply to this sign-in.

With your account we also store when you accepted the terms of use and privacy policy, your consents to be contacted, the app version used and the time of your last use. Your session is stored on your device so that you stay signed in.

The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (providing the account and app features) and Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (account security, preventing misuse). The app is intended for people aged 18 and over.

In pet profiles you store, for example, name, species, breed, sex, birthday, neutering, microchip and tattoo number, origin, insurance (including policy number), vet, weight and height as well as your pet’s health data such as vaccinations, medication, allergies, symptoms, treatments and heat cycles. You can also upload photos and documents and set medication reminders.

If you add emergency contacts, we process their name, relationship, phone number, email address, postal address and notes. Please inform the people concerned.

We process this data only to provide it to you in the app and – if you wish – to share it. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.

You can share pet data for a limited period with other PetConnect users or with service providers (e.g. vets). Recipients only see the data you share and only during the period you choose. Shares via link are displayed in our web portal, protected by a PIN and one-time code where applicable.

You decide on the scope and recipients and can end shares at any time. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.

If you allow the app to access your location, we only use it while the app is open (no background access). We use it to show you dog parks, walking groups, service providers, events and danger reports near you, your position on the map and the location of a danger report you create.

If permission is granted, we store your last known location with a timestamp in order to send you automated danger radar notifications. Other users cannot see your location.

From your location we also derive a rough region locally on your device (the first three digits of the postcode), which we use for shop statistics (see section 12).

The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR for nearby features and Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent) for danger radar notifications, which you can switch off at any time in the notification settings. You can also withdraw location access at any time in your device settings; the app will continue to work with limited features. We delete the stored location on request and together with your account.

The app only uses the camera when you trigger it: to scan tickets, to take photos of documents, pets, dog parks or danger reports, and for your profile picture. The app only accesses your photo library and files for the images and documents you select.

The app adds events or walking group dates via your device’s calendar dialog; it has no read access to your calendar.

You can manage all permissions in your device settings. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.

We send push notifications via Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) and Apple’s push service. For this we store a device token, the operating system, the device name or model and the time of registration. We delete the token when you sign out.

You choose in the settings which notifications you receive by push or email (e.g. walking groups, events, danger radar, product news, news, blog, offers). Some reminders, e.g. for medication or appointments, are scheduled locally on your device.

The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR for notifications about features you use and Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent) for news and offers. You can withdraw your consent at any time in the app or in your system settings. Processing by Google in the USA cannot be ruled out; Google is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

Walking groups: members of a group see your first and last name, your profile picture and your pet’s name, breed and picture. Groups have a meeting point that you set yourself.

Events: when you register, we store your participation with your display name and registration time; the organiser can view the list of participants.

Reviews: for dog park reviews, your first name, rating, comment and photos are displayed publicly; you receive a confirmation email. For product reviews in the shop, your first and last name are displayed; your profile with pets you have made public can be opened from the review.

Danger radar: reports with location, category, description and photo are visible to other users.

Inviting friends: when you invite someone, we process that person’s name and email address to send the invitation. We store reports about groups or content with the reason and the reporting account in order to review them.

The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR and, for reviewing reports, Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (protecting the community).

You can search for service providers, save them as favourites and send enquiries. With an enquiry we transmit your name, email address, phone number, the data of the selected pet and – if you choose – symptom data to the service provider. The service provider is responsible for any further processing.

The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.

In the shop we show partner products and banners labelled as “advertisement”. Partner shops open in a browser within the app; the privacy policy of the respective provider applies there. We add a click identifier to the link so that the partner can attribute a purchase. There are no purchases or payments in the app itself.

To improve the shop and provide partners with aggregated statistics, we record impressions, clicks and time spent together with your user ID and a rough profile of your pet and household (e.g. species, life stage, size class, breed, neutering, number of pets, country and region from the first three digits of the postcode). Partners do not receive any data that identifies you.

The app remembers recently viewed products locally on your device. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in a relevant, economically viable offer). You can object to this processing at any time (see section 19).

If you take part in a prize draw and win, we collect your first and last name, email address and postal address to send the prize. We only pass this data on to the respective partner with your express consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR); participation itself is based on Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.

To understand which features are used and to improve the app, we use Matomo. Matomo runs on our own server (matomo.simplify-data.de) in Germany; the data is not passed on to third parties.

We record app starts, screens and actions (e.g. registration, sharing, walking groups, shop views and pages visited in the shop browser), system language, device and version information and your user ID. The IP address is stored in shortened form.

The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in improving the app). You can object to the analytics at any time, e.g. by email to info@pet-connect.eu.

The app displays maps with Apple Maps on iOS and Google Maps on Android. Apple or Google receive technical data such as your IP address and the map area displayed. When you open a route, you switch to the Apple or Google maps app.

For address search and converting coordinates into addresses (e.g. for a walking group meeting point) we use the Nominatim service of the OpenStreetMap Foundation (United Kingdom). The search term or coordinates and your IP address are transmitted; there is an adequacy decision of the European Commission for the United Kingdom.

The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) and (f) GDPR (displaying places and routes).

The app stores on your device, among other things, your sign-in session, settings, onboarding progress, recently used form values, recently viewed products, temporarily buffered shop statistics (up to 24 hours until transmitted) and cached content. This data is removed when you sign out or uninstall the app.

The legal basis is Section 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG (strictly necessary for the features you request) and Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.

We store your data for as long as your account exists. Shares end with the chosen period or when you end them.

You can delete your account at any time in the app settings or request deletion by email to info@pet-connect.eu. We then delete profile, pet and health data, documents, shares and activities as well as the stored location. If you voluntarily give a reason for deletion, we store it separately from your account to improve the app.

Data we must retain for legal reasons is deleted when the respective period expires. Analytics and statistics data continue to be used in aggregated form.

We only pass on personal data if this is necessary for the feature you use (e.g. to recipients of a share, to service providers with an enquiry, to members of a walking group), if you have consented or if we are legally obliged to do so.

Technical service providers (hosting and cloud providers, Google for push notifications, Apple) process data on our behalf or to provide their service. Transfers to countries outside the EU/EEA only take place under the conditions of Art. 44 et seq. GDPR, e.g. on the basis of an adequacy decision or standard contractual clauses.

You have the right of access (Art. 15 GDPR), rectification (Art. 16 GDPR), erasure (Art. 17 GDPR), restriction of processing (Art. 18 GDPR) and data portability (Art. 20 GDPR).

Right to object: where we process data on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (e.g. shop statistics, Matomo), you can object at any time on grounds relating to your particular situation (Art. 21 GDPR).

You can withdraw consent at any time with effect for the future (Art. 7(3) GDPR), e.g. in the app’s notification settings.

You can lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority, e.g. the Independent Centre for Privacy Protection Schleswig-Holstein, Holstenstraße 98, 24103 Kiel, Germany, https://www.datenschutzzentrum.de

For any data protection request, simply write to info@pet-connect.eu.

We update this privacy policy when the app or the legal requirements change. The current version on this page applies. We will inform you of material changes in the app.