🐾 Privacy Policy

Last Updated: January 2025

Welcome to LovePet! We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and services.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information

When you register and use LovePet, we may collect the following information:

• Account Information: Username, email address, full name, profile picture, and bio
• Authentication Data: Information provided when you sign in with Google or create an account
• Pet Information: Photos, videos, descriptions, and details about your pets
• Location Data: Your approximate location (city-level) to help you find nearby pets, communities, and events
• Content: Posts, comments, messages, and other content you create or share

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

• Device Information: Device type, operating system, unique device identifiers
• Usage Data: How you interact with the app, features you use, and time spent
• Analytics Data: App performance, crashes, and error reports
• Advertising Data: Information related to advertisements you view or interact with

1.3 Payment Information

For in-app purchases (Pro subscriptions and PetCoin packages), payment processing is handled by Google Play Store or Apple App Store. We do not store your credit card or payment information directly.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

• Service Provision: To provide, maintain, and improve our services
• User Experience: To personalize your experience and show relevant content
• Communication: To send you notifications, updates, and respond to your inquiries
• Location Services: To help you find pets, communities, and events near you
• Social Features: To enable interactions between users, including messaging and community features
• Contests and Rewards: To manage contests, distribute PetCoin rewards, and track achievements
• Analytics: To analyze app usage, improve functionality, and prevent fraud
• Advertising: To display relevant advertisements and measure ad performance
• Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations and protect our rights

3. Information Sharing and Disclosure

3.1 Public Information

The following information is publicly visible to other users:

• Your username and profile picture
• Posts, comments, and content you share publicly
• Pet profiles and adoption listings
• Community memberships and event participations

3.2 Third-Party Services

We may share information with trusted third-party service providers:

• Firebase (Google): For authentication, database, storage, analytics, and push notifications
• Google AdMob: For displaying advertisements
• Google Play Store / Apple App Store: For in-app purchase processing
• Google Sign-In: For authentication services

3.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to valid legal requests, such as court orders or government regulations.

3.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the new entity.

4. Data Security

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

• Encryption of data in transit using SSL/TLS
• Secure authentication through Firebase Authentication
• Regular security audits and updates
• Access controls and authentication requirements
• Secure storage of sensitive information

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. Location Services

LovePet uses location services to help you:

• Find pets available for adoption in your area
• Discover nearby communities and events
• Locate pet services and shops

We only collect city-level location data, not precise GPS coordinates. You can disable location services in your device settings at any time, though this may limit certain features.

6. Children's Privacy

LovePet is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete such information promptly.

7. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: You can access and review your personal information through the app settings
• Correction: You can update or correct your information at any time
• Deletion: You can request deletion of your account and associated data
• Opt-Out: You can opt out of certain data collection, such as analytics or advertising
• Notification Preferences: You can manage notification settings in the app
• Location Services: You can disable location services in your device settings

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy. When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information, except where we are required to retain it for legal purposes.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have different data protection laws. By using LovePet, you consent to the transfer of your information to these countries.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

11. Third-Party Links and Services

LovePet may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party services you use.

12. California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including:

• The right to know what personal information is collected
• The right to delete personal information
• The right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell your personal information)
• The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

13. GDPR Rights (European Users)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including:

• Right to access your personal data
• Right to rectification of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to object to processing
• Right to withdraw consent