Go Rocco Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Go Rocco Ltd ("Go Rocco", "we", "us", or "our") operates the Go Rocco mobile application (the "App"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our App.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and processing your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address - to identify your account and send important communications
• Username - to identify you to other users
• Password - stored securely using bcrypt hashing (we cannot see your password)
• Display name - to personalize your profile
• Phone number (optional) - for two-factor authentication and emergency contacts
• Profile photo (optional) - to personalize your profile
• Date of birth - to verify age requirements (16+ years in the UK)

2.2 Pet Information

When you add pets to your profile, we collect:

• Pet name, species, and breed
• Pet photos
• Date of birth and weight
• Microchip ID (optional) - for lost pet identification
• Medical information (optional) - including allergies, medications, and veterinarian details
• Vaccination records (optional)

2.3 Location Data

With your explicit consent, we collect:

• GPS coordinates during walks - to track distance and route
• Walk history - walk summaries stored for your account lifetime; GPS route points deleted after 12 months
• Current location - for nearby features and lost pet alerts (not stored long-term)
• Proximity data - when walking, your approximate location (within ~100 metres) may be visible to other nearby walkers in real time. Your precise coordinates are never shared with other users.
• Aggregated walk patterns - to improve lost pet alert distribution (30-day rolling window)
• Hazard report locations - GPS coordinates when you report trail hazards (stored until hazard expires or is resolved)
• SOS alert locations - GPS coordinates during emergency alerts (shared with your emergency contacts)

2.4 Social & Communication Data

When you use social features, we collect:

• Posts, comments, and stories
• Direct messages
• Likes, follows, and interactions
• Group memberships and event RSVPs

2.5 Lost Pet Alert Data

If you report a lost pet:

• Last seen location and time
• Contact phone number - encrypted for your protection
• Pet description and photos
• Sighting reports from other users

2.6 Hazard & Safety Data

When you use safety features, we collect:

• Hazard reports - type, severity, location, description, and optional photos
• Hazard confirmations/dismissals - your votes on whether a reported hazard still exists
• Emergency contacts - names, phone numbers, and linked Go Rocco accounts
• SOS alerts - trigger type, location, and notification delivery status

2.7 Error & Diagnostic Data

To improve App stability, we automatically collect:

• Crash reports - stack traces, device model, OS version, app version
• Error logs - anonymized error details sent to our error reporting service
• This data does not contain your personal content (messages, photos, etc.)

2.8 Payment Information

For purchases and subscriptions:

• Billing and shipping addresses
• Order history
• We do NOT store your card details - payments are processed securely by Stripe
• In-app purchases on iOS are processed by Apple; on Android by Google. We receive transaction receipts but not your payment method details.

2.9 Device & Technical Data

We automatically collect:

• Device information - type, operating system, app version
• IP address - for security and fraud prevention
• Session data - login times and activity
• Push notification tokens - to send you notifications

2.10 Health & Wellness Data

With your consent:

• Pet activity logs - steps, distance, duration
• Pet weight history
• Medication schedules and logs
• Wellness scores (calculated by our app)

3. How We Use Your Information

4. How We Share Your Information

4.1 With Other Users

• Your public profile is visible to other users
• Your posts are visible according to your privacy settings
• Your location during walks is only visible if you enable sharing

4.2 With Service Providers

We share data with trusted third parties who help us operate the App:

4.3 With Our Staff

A limited number of authorised staff (moderators and administrators) may access your personal data when necessary to:

• Respond to reports of policy violations or safety concerns
• Investigate potential abuse or fraud
• Provide customer support

All staff access is subject to role-based access controls. All access to personal data is logged in an append-only audit trail.

4.4 For Legal Reasons

We may disclose your information to comply with legal obligations, respond to lawful requests from authorities, or protect our rights and safety.

4.5 Business Transfers

If Go Rocco is acquired or merged, your information may be transferred. We will notify you before this occurs.

5. Research & Tester Programmes

From time to time we invite users to take part in a tester programme, such as a two-week study of how easy everyday tasks are in the App. Taking part is optional and needs your separate consent, which the App asks for when you join a programme. This consent is separate from your analytics setting.

What We Collect

• Task completion - which programme tasks you complete, and when
• Ease-of-use measurements - how long App tasks take you and how many taps they need
• Feedback - the feedback, diary entries and survey answers you write
• Screenshots (optional) - only when you choose to attach one to your feedback. A screenshot may show whatever was on your screen at the time, such as names, messages or a map.

How We Use It

Research data is used only to improve the App.

Legal basis: Consent.

Retention and Withdrawal

• Screenshots are kept for 90 days, then deleted.
• Other research data is kept until 180 days after the study ends, then deleted.
• You can leave a programme and withdraw your consent at any time in the App.

Joining a programme does not change your analytics choice: Microsoft Clarity continues to follow your analytics consent.

6. Invitations and Partner Attribution

Some businesses on Go Rocco, such as dog trainers and walkers, are Go Rocco partners. A partner may be rewarded when people they introduce join Go Rocco.

What We Record

• When you join through a partner's link, invite code or QR code, or because a business you use invited you using your email address, we record which partner introduced you.
• When you open a partner's link on our website, we log the visit: your device type and browser, the website that sent you, and a one-way hash of your IP address rather than the address itself. We use this to count visits and detect fraud.

How It Is Used and Who Sees It

• We use this record to reward the partner who introduced you.
• Partners see totals, such as how many people joined through their links. They see your name only if you choose to share it with them.
• We never share your walks or location with partners.
• When you open an affiliate offer, our affiliate network Awin receives a pseudonymous click reference, not your name or email address.

Legal basis: Legitimate Interest (rewarding the partners who introduce new members, and preventing fraud). You can object by contacting privacy@go-rocco.com.

7. Data Security

Technical Safeguards

• Encryption in transit - All data transmitted using TLS 1.3
• Encryption at rest - Sensitive data encrypted using AES-256
• Password security - Passwords hashed with bcrypt (12 rounds)
• Two-factor authentication - Available for additional account security
• Secure infrastructure - Hosted on private Kubernetes cluster with network isolation

Encrypted Data

The following sensitive data is encrypted at rest using AES-256 (pgcrypto):

• Email addresses
• Phone numbers
• Two-factor authentication secrets
• Lost pet alert contact phone numbers
• Database backups (server-side encryption)

8. Data Retention

9. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Right of Access - You can request a copy of all personal data we hold about you. Use the "Download My Data" feature in Settings > Privacy.
• Right to Rectification - You can correct inaccurate data through your profile settings or by contacting us.
• Right to Erasure - You can delete your account and all associated data through Settings > Delete Account. Some data may be retained for legal purposes.
• Right to Restriction - You can request we limit how we use your data by contacting our DPO.
• Right to Data Portability - You can export your data in a machine-readable format (JSON) through Settings > Privacy > Download My Data.
• Right to Object - You can object to processing based on legitimate interests by contacting us.

Right Regarding Automated Decisions (Art. 22)

We use automated decision-making for content moderation. Our AI systems (image classification and text analysis) may automatically:

• Remove content that violates our community guidelines (e.g., nudity, violence, spam)
• Restrict account features temporarily if repeated violations are detected
• Flag content for human moderator review

You have the right to:

• Request human review of any automated moderation decision via the in-app appeal process
• Contest the decision and provide additional context
• Receive a response from a human moderator within 72 hours

No solely automated decisions are made about account deletion or permanent bans — these always involve human review.

To exercise your rights, contact: privacy@go-rocco.com

10. Children's Privacy

Go Rocco requires users to be at least 16 years of age in the UK, in accordance with UK GDPR Article 8 and the ICO Age Appropriate Design Code. Users aged 16-17 have restricted access to certain features, including location tracking and proximity features, which are not available to under-18 users.

We do not knowingly collect data from children under 16. If you believe a child under 16 has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately.

11. International Transfers

Your data is primarily processed in the United Kingdom on our self-hosted infrastructure. Where data is transferred outside the UK (e.g., to Stripe or Google in the US), we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:

• UK International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs)
• UK adequacy decisions (including the UK-US Data Bridge)
• Data Processing Agreements with all processors

12. Cookies and Tracking

The Go Rocco App uses:

• Local storage - to save your preferences
• Session tokens - to keep you logged in
• Analytics - to understand App usage (can be disabled in Settings)

No ads are currently shown in the App. If we introduce advertising (for example through Google AdMob, which may collect your device advertising ID and IP address to serve ads), we will update this policy and ask for your consent before any ads are shown. You can also opt out of personalised ads in your device settings (iOS: Settings > Privacy > Advertising; Android: Settings > Google > Ads). We do NOT sell your personal data to advertisers.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes through in-app notifications, email (if you've opted in), or a notice on our website.

14. Contact Us