Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
This Privacy Policy explains how Pip ('Pip', 'we', 'us', or 'our') collects, uses, stores, and shares personal data when you use the Pip mobile app ('the App') or visit our website at pip.dog ('the Site', and together with the App, 'the Service'). We are the data controller of the personal data described in this policy for the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation ('UK GDPR') and the Data Protection Act 2018. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, you can contact us at hello@pip.dog.
2. Personal Data We Collect
Depending on how you use Pip, we may collect the following categories of personal data: Account and profile information — name, email address, login credentials or authentication identifiers, profile information, preferences, or settings you choose to add. App usage information — information about how you use the App, including features used, screens viewed, and actions taken; diagnostic information including crash reports, error logs, and performance data. Device and technical information — IP address, device identifiers, device type and model, operating system and version, app version, language, region, and time zone settings. Communications — messages, enquiries, or feedback you send to us; records of support requests and our correspondence with you. Newsletter and marketing information — if you join our email list on the Site, we collect the email address you provide so that we can send you product news, updates, and occasional dog-care tips. We do not intentionally collect special category personal data, such as health data, biometric data, or information about religious beliefs, unless this is clearly stated to you separately and we have a lawful basis for doing so.
3. How We Collect Personal Data
We collect personal data in the following ways: Directly from you — when you create an account, complete your profile, use features in the App, sign up to our email list on the Site, or contact us for support or feedback. Automatically — when you use the App or the Site, certain technical and usage information may be collected automatically through the App, the Site, and through service providers that help us operate, secure, and improve the Service. On the Site, this only applies to analytics where you have accepted analytics cookies (see section 10). From third parties — we may receive personal data from third parties where relevant to the operation of the App, such as app store providers, authentication providers, analytics or crash reporting providers, and payment or subscription platforms, where applicable.
4. How We Use Your Personal Data
We use personal data for the following purposes:
- To provide, maintain, and operate the App
- To create and manage user accounts
- To authenticate users and keep the App secure
- To respond to enquiries, support requests, and feedback
- To monitor performance, diagnose issues, and fix bugs
- To improve the App, develop new features, and understand how the App is used
- To send important service-related messages, such as account, security, or policy updates
- To comply with legal and regulatory obligations
- To send marketing communications where you have agreed to receive them
- To operate, maintain, and improve our website
- To understand how our website is used, where you have accepted analytics cookies
5. Our Lawful Bases for Processing
Under UK data protection law, we rely on the following lawful bases: Providing and operating the App — performance of a contract. Managing your account and providing customer support — performance of a contract and, where appropriate, legitimate interests. Monitoring performance, fixing bugs, and improving the App — legitimate interests. Keeping the App secure and preventing misuse — legitimate interests and, where applicable, legal obligation. Sending essential service communications — performance of a contract. Sending marketing communications — consent. Operating and improving our website — legitimate interests; for analytics cookies on the website, consent. Complying with legal obligations — legal obligation. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we do so only where our interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
6. Who We Share Personal Data With
We do not sell your personal data. We may share personal data with the following categories of recipients where necessary:
- Hosting and infrastructure providers
- Analytics and diagnostics providers
- Authentication or identity providers
- Communication or customer support providers
- Email and marketing platforms (for example, Klaviyo), used to operate our newsletter and send marketing emails where you have signed up
- Product analytics providers (for example, PostHog), used to understand how our website is used, where you have accepted analytics cookies
- App store and platform providers, including Apple
- Professional advisers or legal authorities, where necessary to comply with law, enforce our rights, or protect users and others
- Family members you invite to share a dog's care plan within the App — they may see your display name and any information you contribute to that shared profile
Where third parties process personal data on our behalf, they do so under appropriate contractual protections and only on our documented instructions.
7. International Transfers
Some of our service providers may process personal data outside the United Kingdom. Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we take appropriate steps to ensure that it remains protected. These steps may include relying on a UK adequacy regulation, or appropriate safeguards such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or other approved transfer mechanisms.
8. Data Retention
We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to provide the App, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. In general: account information is retained while your account remains active; support communications may be retained for a reasonable period; technical logs, analytics data, and diagnostic information are retained only for as long as reasonably necessary. If you delete your account, we will delete or anonymise your personal data within 90 days unless we need to retain certain information for legal, regulatory, fraud prevention, or legitimate business purposes.
9. Your Rights
Under UK data protection law, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data
- Request deletion of your personal data
- Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances
- Object to processing based on legitimate interests
- Receive a copy of certain personal data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@pip.dog. We may need to verify your identity before responding. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by telephone on 0303 123 1113.
10. Cookies, Analytics, and Similar Technologies
In the App, we use PostHog Cloud (EU-hosted) as our product-analytics provider to understand how the App is used, improve performance, identify technical issues, and make the App easier to use. PostHog helps us understand things such as which features are used, where people drop off during onboarding, and how the App performs over time. We do not enable session recordings, heatmaps, screen replay, or similar replay tools, and we do not use PostHog for advertising or behavioural targeting. The data collected through PostHog in the App may include pseudonymous app, device, or user identifiers, app version, operating system information, usage events, screen views, onboarding selections, session information, and diagnostic or error information. After you sign in, these events may be associated with an internal identifier linked to your account so that we can understand user journeys end-to-end and improve the App. We do not send your name, email address, dog's name, or care content to PostHog. Where permitted by law, we rely on our legitimate interests to operate, maintain, secure, and improve the App through analytics, balanced against your rights and freedoms. You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests at any time, and where consent is required for any analytics or similar technologies, we will ask for it first. You can contact us at hello@pip.dog if you have questions or wish to object. We do not use personal data collected through the App for advertising, and we do not sell it to third parties. On our website at pip.dog, we also use PostHog to understand how visitors use the Site so that we can improve it. On the Site, PostHog sets cookies and may collect information such as the pages you visit, links and buttons you click, your approximate location (derived from your IP address), and your device and browser type. We only set these analytics cookies if you accept them using our cookie banner; they are not set if you decline. You can change your choice at any time using the 'Cookie preferences' link in the footer of the Site. We do not use advertising cookies and we do not sell your data. If you subscribe to our newsletter on the Site, the email address you provide is processed by our email provider to manage your subscription, and you can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails.
11. Children
Pip is not intended for children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe that a child has provided personal data to us, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete that information.
12. Security
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. However, no system can be completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify users through the App, by email, or by other appropriate means. The 'Last updated' date at the top of this policy shows when this Privacy Policy was most recently revised.
14. Contact Us
If you have any questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our handling of personal data, please contact: Pet Starts Limited Email: hello@pip.dog