Pawhub Privacy Policy
Last Updated: 25 February 2026
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1. Introduction
Pawhub ("we", "us", "our") provides a social platform to help pet owners connect, chat, share activities, and discover nearby pet-friendly places. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use and protect it, and the choices you have. By using Pawhub, you agree to the practices described in this policy.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Account and Profile
We collect information you provide when creating an account or editing your profile, such as your display name, email address, profile photo, bio, and details about your pets (e.g., name, age, breed, images). Authentication may use Firebase Auth, Google Sign-In, or Apple Sign-In.
When you sign in with Google or Apple, we receive only your name, email address, and profile photo (if available). We do not access your Google contacts, Google Drive, Apple iCloud, or any other data from these services beyond basic profile information.
2.2 Usage and Communications
We process app interactions (likes, matches, chats, activities), notifications, and limited analytics (e.g., app opened) to maintain and improve the service.
2.3 Location
With your permission, we collect device location via the operating system to show your position on the map, find nearby pets and places, and improve discovery features. You can disable location access in your device Settings at any time.
2.4 Device and Log Data
We may receive basic device and app diagnostics for reliability and security purposes. Error reporting is minimised and may include anonymous logs.
3. How We Use Information
We use the information we collect to:
· Provide and personalise core features (profiles, pets, discovery, matches, chats).
· Show relevant nearby results using your location (when enabled).
· Send notifications (e.g., messages, matches) if you opt in.
· Maintain safety, prevent abuse, and enforce our community guidelines.
· Improve performance, reliability, and user experience.
· Comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests.
4. Sharing and Visibility
Your profile and pet content may be visible to other users according to app features and your settings. The "Show friends activities" feature is mutual — if you disable it, you will not see others’ activities, and others will not see yours.
We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
5. Data Processing and Third-Party Services
We use trusted third-party services to operate the app, including:
· Firebase (Authentication, Firestore, Cloud Storage, Analytics)
· Expo Notifications (push notification delivery)
· Google APIs (Maps, Places)
· Google AdMob (advertising)
· Apple App Store and Google Play (payment processing)
These providers process data on our behalf under their respective terms of service and security standards. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.
6. User Content
You may upload photos, descriptions, and chat messages about you and your pets. These are stored securely in Firebase services (Firestore/Storage) and shared with other users according to the features you use (for example, public pet cards, matches, and chats). Please avoid sharing sensitive personal information in free-text fields or images.
7. Adoption Data
When you use adoption features, we collect and store additional information to facilitate the adoption process. This includes:
• Adoption listings: pet details, photos, descriptions, adoption status, and timestamps you provide when creating a listing.
• Adoption applications: information submitted by applicants such as living situation, pet experience, household details (yard, other pets,
children), work schedule, and motivation to adopt. This information is shared with the pet owner to help them evaluate applications.
• Adoption communications: messages exchanged between owners and applicants through in-app chat are stored to enable the conversation and for
safety and moderation purposes.
Adoption data is retained for as long as the listing is active and for a reasonable period afterward for safety and dispute resolution. When you
delete your account, all adoption data associated with your account is deleted in accordance with our data retention policy (see Section 13).
Pawhub does not share adoption data with third parties for marketing purposes. Adoption application details are only visible to the pet owner
who created the listing.
8. Analytics and Diagnostics
We use Firebase Analytics (where available) to understand feature usage and app performance. Analytics may collect event data, device identifiers, coarse location, and app interactions. You can disable analytics in your OS settings where supported. Analytics is optional, and the app continues to function without it.
9. Push Notifications
If you enable notifications, we generate a push token (via Expo/OS services) and store it with your account to send alerts about messages, matches, reminders, and safety updates. You can disable notifications in the app or your device settings. Revoking permission stops new notifications, though previously received notifications may remain on your device.
10. Location and Maps
When enabled, precise or approximate location (depending on your device permissions) is used to centre maps and show nearby pets and places. We do not continuously track your location in the background. You can disable location permissions at any time in system settings; some features may be limited when location is off.
11. Children’s Safety
Pawhub is not intended for children under the age of 13 (or 16 in the EEA/UK), and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected information from a child, we will delete it promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us at support@pawhub.info.
Parents and guardians should supervise children around unfamiliar pets and people.
12. Safety and Reporting
Use in-app tools to block users and manage visibility. For safety concerns or policy violations, use the report options available on user cards. If you believe someone is in immediate danger, contact local authorities.
13. Data Retention
We retain personal data for as long as necessary to provide the service and for legitimate business needs, including security, fraud prevention, and legal compliance. When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised.
You may request deletion of your account at any time (see Section 17: Account Deletion). Some information may be retained as required by law or to prevent fraud.
14. Your Choices
Account: You can access, update, or delete your information in Settings.
Notifications: Enable or disable in Settings or your OS preferences.
Location: Turn on or off precise location in OS settings and in-app.
Visibility: Control activity visibility and who can interact with you.
Advertising: Opt out of personalised ads in your device settings.
15. Security
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you suspect unauthorised access to your account, please contact us immediately.
16. International Transfers
Your information may be processed in countries different from your own. We rely on appropriate safeguards (such as standard contractual clauses, where applicable) when transferring data internationally, consistent with applicable data protection law.
17. Cookies and Tracking
We use analytics and basic diagnostic tools to improve reliability and performance. Ad-related SDKs may use identifiers for advertising where permitted. You can adjust ad and analytics settings in your device OS where available.
18. Advertising and AdMob
We use Google AdMob to display advertisements. AdMob and related Google services may collect device identifiers (such as the advertising ID), IP-based coarse location, app usage and diagnostics, ad impressions, and interactions to deliver and measure ads, prevent fraud, and enforce frequency caps. Where personalised ads are enabled and permitted by law, Google may use approximate demographics or interest segments.
Controls
You can opt out of personalised ads in your device settings (e.g., "Opt out of Ads Personalisation" or "Limit Ad Tracking") and reset your device advertising ID at any time. Non-personalised ads may still appear. For EEA/UK users, we request consent for personalised ads and store your choice; you can change or withdraw consent in-app where provided.
Children and Sensitive Categories
The app is not directed to children. Where required, AdMob settings (such as child-directed flags or max ad content rating) are applied to reduce sensitive ad content.
Data Sharing
Google may act as an independent controller for certain ad-related data. See Google’s AdMob/Ads privacy information for details on how data is used and retained. We do not sell your personal information.
19. Payments, Pawcoins, and Subscriptions
We manage in-app purchases (including Pawcoin balance, boosts, rewinds, premium plans, and map/who-likes-me add-ons) via app store billing. Purchase records, balances, and rewards are stored in your account in Firebase. We do not store full payment card details; payments are processed by the platform provider (e.g., Apple App Store, Google Play) under their own terms and conditions.
20. Account Deletion
If you wish to delete your account and all associated data, you can do so directly within the Pawhub mobile app under Settings > Remove Account.
Alternatively, you can request account deletion by emailing us at support@pawhub.info. Please include your registered email address. We will verify your identity and permanently delete your account and personal data within 30 days of verification. Residual copies in encrypted backups are purged within 90 days. Once deletion is complete, this action cannot be reversed.
21. Data Breach Notice
If we become aware of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify affected users and/or relevant supervisory authorities without undue delay, as required by applicable law.
22. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated in-app or by other appropriate means. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of Pawhub after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
23. Your Rights
Subject to your local laws, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or export your data, and to object to or restrict certain processing. We will respond to verified data access or deletion requests within 30 days. You can make many changes directly in Settings; for other requests, contact us at support@pawhub.info.
For California Residents (CCPA)
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), you have the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used, to request deletion of your personal information, and to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell your personal information. To exercise your rights, contact us at support@pawhub.info.
For EEA/UK Residents (GDPR)
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have rights to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing, data portability, and to object to processing of your personal data. Our legal bases for processing include:
· Contract performance — providing the Pawhub service to you.
· Legitimate interests — security, fraud prevention, and service improvement.
· Consent — location access, personalised advertising, and optional analytics.
You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing. To exercise your rights or lodge a complaint, contact us at support@pawhub.info or your local data protection authority.
24. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please contact us at:
support@pawhub.info
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