This Privacy Policy explains how Animalty ("App", "Service") collects, uses, shares, and protects your information under the GDPR and other applicable privacy laws.

If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please do not use the App.

1. Who We Are (Controller)

The Service is provided by Vladislav Palekhov, acting as an individual entrepreneur registered in Georgia.

For purposes of the EU/UK GDPR, Vladislav Palekhov is the data controller for personal data processed through the App (unless we explicitly state otherwise).

Business registration: IE Vladislav Palekhov, ID 345714453

Location for notices: Kobaladze 8A apt.760, Batumi, Georgia

Contact (privacy & support): support@animalty.com

2. EU/UK Representative (if applicable)

If we are subject to Article 27 EU GDPR and/or UK GDPR, we will appoint a representative in the EU and/or the UK. Representative contact details will be published here once appointed.

3. Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to:

the Animalty mobile app (iOS and Android), and
related support communications (e.g., email support).

It does not apply to third-party websites/apps you may access via links in the App or to third-party services used by Providers (pet sitters/trainers) outside the App.

4. Information We Collect

We collect information in three main ways: (a) information you provide, (b) information collected automatically, and (c) information from third parties.

4.1 Information you provide

Account & profile

Email address (required to create an account)
Name (as entered by you; may be required for Marketplace features depending on your use)
Optional profile details (e.g., photo, bio)
Account preferences and settings

Pet-related information (entered by you)

Pet profile data (species/breed, age, weight, activity)
Health tracking (symptoms you log, vet test notes you enter, medications you track, vaccination reminders)

Marketplace & communications (if you use Marketplace features)

Messages/chats between users and providers
Booking requests and related details
Reviews/ratings and other user-generated content

Support

Support requests you send to us (by email or in-app, where available)

Payments

If you purchase a subscription via app stores, we receive purchase/entitlement status (not your full card data).
If you pay via Stripe (where available), payment processing is handled by Stripe. We may receive payment status, amounts, timestamps, and limited identifiers needed to manage payments and disputes.

4.2 Information collected automatically

Device and app data

Device type, OS version, app version
App instance identifiers (e.g., an installation ID) and device information used for security, analytics, and crash reporting
Crash logs and performance data

We do not access the Apple advertising identifier (IDFA).

Usage data

Features you use, screens you visit, clicks/events inside the app
Approximate location (derived from IP) in some cases

We may derive approximate location from IP address for fraud prevention, security, and regional compliance.

Location data (if you enable it)

Precise location for walk maps/route tracking (only if you grant permission)
Route/trip data associated with your walks (if the feature is used)

4.3 Information from third parties

We may receive data from:

App stores (subscription and purchase confirmations)
Analytics and crash reporting tools (see Section 8)
Map providers (for map rendering and routing)
Payment providers (e.g., Stripe, where available)
AI providers (only if you enable and use AI features, see Section 16)

5. Whether You Must Provide Data

Some information is required to provide the Service:

Account email: required to create and manage an account. If you do not provide it, you cannot create an account.

Other information is optional:

Profile photo/bio, pet details, health notes, and precise location are optional, but some features may not work without them (for example, route tracking requires location permission).

6. How We Use Information (Purposes)

We use your information to:

6.1 Provide and operate the Service

Create and manage your account
Store pet profiles and health tracking logs you enter
Deliver reminders (vaccines/medications/routines)
Enable chat, bookings, ratings/reviews, and public profiles (Marketplace, if used)
Provide walking maps and route tracking (if enabled)

6.2 Improve and secure the Service

Debug, monitor performance, prevent crashes
Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and policy violations
Enforce our Terms and handle disputes/moderation

6.3 Personalization and recommendations

Generate training, nutrition, activity, and care suggestions
Provide AI-based insights (only if you enable and use AI features; see Section 16)

6.4 Payments and billing

Confirm subscription entitlements (App Store/Play Store)
Process payments via Stripe (where available)
Handle refunds/chargebacks/disputes (as applicable)

6.5 Communications

Respond to your support messages
Send important service messages (security notices, changes to terms, required notices)
Marketing: We only send marketing emails/push notifications where you have provided consent or where permitted by law (you can opt out at any time).

7. Legal Bases (EU/UK GDPR)

If you are in the EU/UK, we process your personal data under these lawful bases depending on the purpose:

Contract (Art. 6(1)(b)): account creation and management; pet profiles and logs; Marketplace features (chats/bookings); subscription access.
Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)): service security, fraud prevention, abuse moderation, and service analytics that are proportionate and privacy-respecting.
Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): precise location for walk tracking (when you enable it); push notifications (via device permissions); marketing communications where required; and enabling AI features (see Section 16).
Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)): compliance with tax/accounting and responding to lawful requests.

You can withdraw consent at any time (see Section 13).

8. Sharing and Third Parties

We share personal data only as needed to operate the Service, including with vendors that act as processors under GDPR.

We require our service providers to protect personal data with the same or equivalent level of protection described in this Privacy Policy, including appropriate security measures and contractual safeguards (such as data processing agreements and, where applicable, Standard Contractual Clauses for international transfers).

We only share data with the third parties that are actually active in the released version of the App. If a vendor is not enabled, we do not send data to it.

8.1 Common categories (examples)

Cloud hosting & infrastructure: Amazon Web Services (AWS) — hosted in an EU region (where configured)
Analytics: Firebase, Amplitude (where enabled)
Crash/error monitoring: Sentry (where enabled)
Push notifications: platform services (APNs/FCM)
Maps: Google Maps and/or Mapbox
Payments: Stripe (where used)

8.2 AI services (OpenAI)

We may use the OpenAI API for some AI features.

Recipient: OpenAI, L.L.C. (United States) ("OpenAI")

Processing location: OpenAI may process data on servers in the United States and other locations where it operates, depending on service configuration.

What data may be sent:

Your AI prompt and any text you submit in AI fields (for example, questions, descriptions, notes).
Pet-related data that you choose to include for the AI request, such as: species/breed, age, weight, activity level, goals, and selected health tracking items (e.g., symptoms you logged, medication names and schedules, vaccination-related reminders).
Technical metadata needed to deliver the request for reliability and security, such as: request timestamp, request ID, app version, device model/type, OS version, and error/diagnostic codes (where applicable).
Network identifiers that may be processed as part of delivering an API request (for example, IP address), which are typically required for network communication, security, and abuse prevention.

What we do NOT intend to send (unless you explicitly include it in your prompt):

Your payment card details (we do not receive them from app stores and we do not send them to OpenAI).
Your Apple ID credentials.
Your precise location coordinates.

When data is sent:

Only when you use an AI feature in the App (for example, when you tap a button such as "Ask AI" / "Generate").
We do not send your data to OpenAI in the background when you are not using AI features.

Permission before sending:

Before the App sends personal data to OpenAI for AI features, we will ask you to enable AI features (opt-in). You can choose not to enable AI.
You can disable AI features later in the App settings (where available). If AI is disabled, the App will not send your personal data to OpenAI for AI features.

8.3 Additional sharing

We may also share information:

With other users as part of Marketplace features (e.g., your public profile fields, reviews, and messages, depending on your settings).
For legal reasons (law enforcement requests, legal claims, to protect rights/safety).
Business changes (if we undergo restructuring, sale, or asset transfer, subject to applicable laws).

We do not sell your personal data.

Marketplace note about Providers

Providers (pet sitters/trainers) may process your data as independent controllers for their own purposes outside the App (for example, tax/invoicing, insurance, or offline service delivery). They are responsible for their own privacy practices for such processing.

9. Tracking (Apple Terminology)

We do not use your data to track you across third-party apps or websites for advertising purposes.

We do not access the Apple advertising identifier (IDFA). If our practices change, we will update this Privacy Policy and, where required, request permission (e.g., via the App Tracking Transparency prompt on iOS).

10. International Data Transfers

We host core infrastructure in the EU (AWS EU region, where configured). Some of our vendors may process data outside the EU/EEA/UK (for example, in the United States).

Where required, we use appropriate safeguards such as:

Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), and
additional measures where appropriate.

Details may depend on vendor configurations and are available upon request.

11. Data Retention

We keep personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes described above.

Typical retention (may vary based on your usage and legal requirements):

Account and profile data: kept while your account is active.
Pet profiles and health logs: kept while your account is active, unless you delete specific entries or delete your account.
Chats and Marketplace content: kept while your account is active and as needed for dispute handling and safety.
Analytics and crash/performance logs: typically retained for a limited period (e.g., weeks to months) depending on vendor settings.
Billing and transaction records: retained as required by law and for accounting/tax purposes (where applicable).

AI processing retention (OpenAI)

By default, OpenAI may retain prompts and responses (and related logs) for abuse monitoring and security for up to 30 days, unless legally required to retain longer, depending on OpenAI's policies and our vendor settings.

Data sent via the OpenAI API is not used to train or improve OpenAI models by default unless an explicit opt-in is enabled for the relevant account/settings.

Account deletion

You can initiate account deletion in the App (e.g., Settings → Account → Delete account). If you delete your account, we delete or anonymize your personal data, except where we need to retain certain data for a limited period for:

security and fraud prevention,
dispute handling and enforcement,
compliance with legal obligations.

Unless legally required otherwise, we may retain limited data for up to 6 months after deletion for the purposes above. Some information may be retained longer if required by law or if needed to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

12. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to protect information (e.g., access controls, encryption in transit where applicable, monitoring). No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

13. Your Rights and Choices

13.1 EU/UK GDPR rights

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the right to:

access your personal data,
correct inaccurate data,
delete your data,
restrict processing,
object to processing,
data portability,
withdraw consent (where processing is based on consent).

To exercise rights, contact support@animalty.com. We may request verification to protect your account.

13.2 Managing your settings

Location: You can enable/disable precise location in your device settings.
Push notifications: Managed via device settings.
Marketing: You can opt out via in-app settings (if available) or by contacting support.
AI features: You can enable/disable AI features in the App settings (where available). If disabled, we will not send your personal data to OpenAI for AI features.

13.3 Complaints (EU/UK)

If you are in the EU/UK, you may lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

14. Children's Privacy

The App is not directed to children and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16 in the EU/UK (or under the applicable age threshold in your country).

If you believe a child has provided us personal data, contact support@animalty.com and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

15. Marketplace Visibility (Public Profiles, Reviews, Chats)

If you use Marketplace features:

Some profile information may be visible to others (e.g., display name, profile photo if you upload one, listing details, ratings/reviews).
Messages are shared with the recipients you communicate with.
Reviews/ratings you post may be public within the Marketplace.

We recommend not sharing sensitive personal information in chats or public fields.

16. AI Processing Notice (Important)

If you use AI features, the App may send certain data to OpenAI to generate AI output (recommendations, summaries, or insights).

16.1 What is sent and why

To generate an AI answer, we may send:

Your prompt (the text you type or submit to the AI feature), and
Pet-related context that you choose to include for that request (e.g., species/breed, age, weight, activity, selected health logs).

Purpose: To generate the AI output you requested in the App.

16.2 Who receives the data

OpenAI, L.L.C. (United States), acting as our service provider for AI processing.

16.3 Your permission (opt-in) and control

We will ask you to enable AI features before sending your personal data to OpenAI for AI features.
You can choose not to enable AI features.
You can disable AI features later in settings (where available). If disabled, we will not send your personal data to OpenAI for AI features.

16.4 Do not enter sensitive information

Please avoid entering sensitive personal information in free-text prompts (for example: details about your health, government IDs, or payment card data). If you include sensitive information in a prompt, it may be sent to OpenAI as part of that prompt.

16.5 AI limitations

AI output may be inaccurate and is provided for informational purposes only. You remain responsible for decisions about your pet. AI is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice.

16.6 Training and retention (vendor)