Privacy Policy for Dogspotting LLC

Last Updated: November 2025

Summary: This Privacy Policy explains how Dogspotting LLC (“Dogspotting,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and shares your personal information and your content. By using our U.S.-based mobile apps or website, you agree to this Policy and our Terms and Conditions. Here are the key points:

• Data Collection: We collect personal information you provide (e.g. name, email, zip code, age, dog breed, allergies, food preferences, spending habits) and content you upload (photos, videos, audio, captions). We also collect device and usage data through cookies and similar technologies to improve our services.

• Use of Data: We use your data to operate and personalize the Dogspotting experience, enable social features (profiles, follows, comments), send you updates or push notifications (with your consent), and improve and monetize our services. This includes using your content in our media and possibly licensing it to partners (you still own your content, but you give us rights to use it).

• Content License: When you post content, you grant Dogspotting a perpetual, worldwide, sublicensable, royalty-free license to use, modify, repost, and share your content (photos, videos, etc.) for any purpose, including commercial uses. This means we can display your dog photos on our platforms, social media, or even allow third-party partners to feature them, without further permission from you. (You retain ownership of your content.)

• Sharing and Disclosure: We share information with trusted third parties who help us run Dogspotting – for example, service providers (hosting and cloud services, analytics partners, push notification and email providers, social login services) and payment processors (for future in-app purchases via app stores or Stripe). We may also share aggregated or non-identifying information with advertisers or business partners. If Dogspotting is ever sold or merged, all user data and content can be transferred to the new owner. We may disclose data if required by law or to protect rights and safety.

• Cookies & Tracking: Our website and apps use cookies, SDKs, and pixel tags to remember your preferences, analyze traffic, and, if applicable, serve targeted content. These tools (including third-party analytics) help us understand usage and improve our services. You can control cookies through your browser settings, and you can opt out of certain tracking (such as resetting mobile ad identifiers).

• Push Notifications: With your permission, we send push notifications about account activity and updates through third-party services (e.g. Firebase Cloud Messaging for Android, Apple Push Notification Service for iOS). You can opt in or out of these at any time in your device or app settings.

• User Control & Rights: You can delete your account or remove individual posts without deleting your account. You can also request a copy of your data. Users have privacy rights under laws like GDPR (EU/UK users can access, delete, or correct data, etc.) and CCPA/CPRA (California residents can know what data we collect, delete it, opt out of “sale or sharing” of personal info, and not be discriminated against for exercising rights). We honor these rights and explain how to exercise them below.

• Children: Dogspotting is only for users 13 and older. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If you’re 13–16 and in a region that requires parental consent (e.g. EU), you should only use Dogspotting with parental permission; we do not verify age or parental consent for these teens.

• Data Security & Transfers: We store data in the United States and may process it globally with safeguards in place. We use standard security measures to protect your data, but no system is 100% secure.

• Contact & Changes: You can contact us at any time with questions or to exercise your rights. We may update this Policy as our practices or laws change, and we will post the new effective date when we do.

This summary is for convenience. Please read the full Privacy Policy below for detailed information.

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) describes how Dogspotting LLC (“Dogspotting”) collects, uses, discloses, and protects your information when you use our services. Our services include the Dogspotting mobile applications (iOS and Android, currently available to U.S. residents) and our website at dogspotting.com (collectively, the “Service”). By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this Policy and consent to our Terms and Conditions, which together with this Policy govern your use of Dogspotting. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

Controller and Contact: Dogspotting LLC (1509 Waukegan Road #1205, Glenview, IL 60025, United States) is the organization responsible for your personal data. If you have any questions or requests regarding your privacy, you may contact us at team@dogspottingmedia.com or at the mailing address provided in the Contact section below.

Legal Compliance: Dogspotting is committed to protecting your privacy and complying with applicable privacy laws, including the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (“CCPA/CPRA”), and the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”). This Policy outlines our practices in line with these laws, including how we honor consumer privacy rights and safeguard personal data globally.

2. Information We Collect

We collect various types of information from and about you when you use Dogspotting. This includes:

• Information You Provide Directly: When you create an account or complete your profile, we ask for personal details such as your name, email address, zip code, and age (for eligibility). During onboarding or in your profile, you may also provide information about your dog (e.g. breed), your preferences (like pet allergies or favorite dog foods), and other details such as spending habits on pet products. These help personalize your experience. If you communicate with us (for example, via customer support or surveys), we collect the information you share in those communications.

• User-Generated Content (UGC): The Service is centered on user content. You can upload or post content such as photos, videos, audio recordings/voice notes, captions, comments, and other materials featuring dogs (and possibly yourself or others). Any such content you submit may be viewable by other users or the public, along with your profile name and other public profile information. Please be careful not to include personal data in content you make public unless you’re comfortable sharing it. Anything you post publicly can be seen, used, or shared by others.

• Note: By posting UGC, you represent that you have the right to share that content (for example, you took the photo or have permission to use it) and that it does not infringe on anyone else’s rights or privacy. If your content contains other people (or their pets or property), you should have their permission.

• Payment and Transaction Information: While Dogspotting is currently free to use, we plan to offer in-app purchases or e-commerce features (such as buying merchandise or subscriptions) in the future. If you make a purchase, we may collect information about the transaction (e.g. product or service purchased, date and amount) and basic billing details (like your name and delivery address). We do not collect or store your sensitive payment card details; payments will be processed securely by third-party payment processors (for example, app store payment systems or a service like Stripe). The payment provider will collect your payment card number, billing address and other necessary information, and they may share with us a confirmation of your purchase or subscription.

• Social Login Data: If you choose to register or log in through a social media or third-party account (such as using Apple Sign-in, Google, or Facebook), we will receive certain information from that service as authorized by you. This may include your name, email, and public profile information from that account. We will use this data in accordance with this Policy. If you prefer not to share this data, you can register with an email instead.

• Device and Usage Information: Like most online services, we automatically collect technical data when you use Dogspotting. This includes:

• Device Identifiers and Attributes: Information about your phone or computer, such as the device type (e.g. iPhone, Android), operating system and version, unique device IDs, app version, and device settings. For mobile app users, we may record your device’s advertising identifier for analytics or marketing (you can reset this identifier or limit ad tracking in your device settings).

• Log and Usage Data: Details about how you use our Service, such as the features you use, content you view or engage with, the pages or screens you visit, the time and duration of usage, search queries, and crash or error reports. For example, we might log that you viewed a particular dog photo or that you followed a new user.

• Internet or Network Info: When you use the website or app, we collect information like your IP address, browser type, domain names, and possibly your approximate location inferred from your IP or device settings. We also note cookies and similar technologies (explained below) that are associated with your device.

• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies (small text files stored in your browser) and similar tracking technologies (such as web beacons, pixels, and mobile SDKs) to collect information about your interaction with our Service. For example, cookies help us recognize your browser or device, store your preferences, keep you logged in, and understand what content you seem to like. They also help with analytics – telling us which pages are popular, how users navigate the site – and with security (e.g. detecting fraud). Some cookies are our own (first-party cookies) and some are placed by third parties (third-party cookies) such as analytics providers or social media plugins. (See Section 5 below for more on cookies and tracking.)

• Location Information: Aside from the zip code you may provide, we do not currently request precise GPS location. However, the IP address or the location of the zip code you enter might be used to estimate your general location (e.g. city or region). This helps us show you relevant content (for example, popular dog posts in your area) and for analytics. If in the future we offer location-based features, we will ask your permission as required.

• Sensitive Personal Information: Generally, we do not seek to collect sensitive data about you (such as health, biometric, or financial information) except as necessary for the Service. The profile question about pet allergies is optional; if you choose to provide it, that could be considered health-related information. By providing any sensitive information (e.g. allergies), you consent to our processing of it for the purposes of personalization (for instance, to avoid showing you content or ads about things you’re allergic to) and any other purposes you agree to. We handle all personal data, sensitive or not, with care and security.

You are not required to provide personal information, but some features (like creating an account, posting content, or making a purchase) will not work without certain data. We will indicate which information is optional. If you have any concerns about providing information, you can contact us to discuss them.

3. How We Use Your Information

Dogspotting uses the collected information for the following purposes:

• Providing and Improving the Service: We use personal information to create and maintain your account, allow you to log in, and deliver the features of the Dogspotting app/website. For example, we use your profile details to populate your profile page, your content to display to your followers or the public, and your email to authenticate your login. We also analyze usage data to understand how users interact with Dogspotting, which helps us fix bugs, improve the user interface, and develop new features.

• Personalization: Your information (such as your dog breed interests or location) helps us tailor the content you see. We may suggest accounts to follow, show you local dog posts, or prioritize content and ads that are relevant to your interests. We might also use your data to remember your preferences (like if you usually “like” posts about a certain breed, we may show you more of those).

• Social and Community Features: All content you post (photos, videos, comments, etc.) is used to operate the community aspects of Dogspotting. For instance, when you upload a dog photo, we will display it in the app, allow others to view and comment on it, and show it on your profile. Your username, profile picture, and any info you mark as public will be shown along with your posts. If you comment on someone else’s post, we publish that comment to that post’s comment section. In short, we use your information to facilitate the social interactions you choose to engage in on Dogspotting.

• Communication: We may use your email address or in-app notifications to send you service-related messages. These include confirmations (e.g., account creation or purchase receipts), administrative messages, and updates about our Terms or Privacy Policy. We may also send you promotional communications about new features, contests, or content we think you’d enjoy – but you can opt out of marketing emails at any time by clicking “unsubscribe” in the email or adjusting your settings. If you agree to push notifications, we will use push services to send you alerts such as when someone likes your post or when we have important announcements. (See Section 6 on Push Notifications for how we handle and send these.)

• Monetization and Advertising: Dogspotting’s business may involve showing advertisements or sponsored content and potentially allowing in-app purchases. We may use information about you to show you ads that are more likely to be relevant (for example, if you indicated you buy premium dog food, we might show you ads from pet food companies). We might also monetize user-generated content – for example, featuring your viral dog video in a compilation that we promote, or licensing popular user videos to media partners (with attribution to Dogspotting). Any advertising or sponsorship will comply with this Privacy Policy (we won’t share your personally identifying information with advertisers without consent; we may share aggregate info or device identifiers for ad targeting as described in Section 4).

• Content Licensing and Reuse: One of our goals is to celebrate the content you and others create. Therefore, we may reuse or republish your user-generated content on our own platforms (such as Dogspotting social media accounts) or through partners. For example, we might feature a great photo you posted on our official Instagram, or allow a partner website to embed or repost public Dogspotting content. When we do this, we might also use your display name or likeness (for instance, crediting you as the creator). Section 7 below (“User-Generated Content and License”) explains in detail the rights you grant us when you post content, which enable us to use and share your content broadly.

• Payments and Commerce: If you make any purchases through Dogspotting, we will use your information to fulfill those transactions. For instance, we (and our payment processors) use your info to process payments, ensure delivery of any goods (if physical items are sold in the future), and keep proper records. If you enter contests or promotions, we use your data to administer those as well (e.g. to contact winners).

• Security and Moderation: We are dedicated to keeping Dogspotting a safe and positive community. We use personal data as needed to prevent fraud, detect and address illegal or harmful activity, and enforce our community guidelines and Terms. For example, we may review user reports or flags on content and use account info and content to investigate violations (see Section 12 on Admin and Moderation). We also may use automated systems to detect spam or inappropriate content (like image recognition to detect prohibited content). Your data may be used to block abusive users (for example, we might use device identifiers to recognize a banned user trying to return).

• Legal Compliance: We may process your data to comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, or enforceable governmental requests. For instance, we could retain and disclose certain information if we are compelled by law (such as a subpoena or court order) or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Dogspotting, our users, or the public.

• Other Purposes (with notice or consent): If we intend to use your information for a purpose not listed here, we will update this Policy or ask for your consent as required. We will only use your personal data in ways that are compatible with the purposes above or that you authorize.

We rely on certain legal bases to process personal data under GDPR (for users in the EEA/UK): primarily, processing is necessary to perform the contract (our Terms) with you (e.g. to provide the service), or for our legitimate interests (to improve our services, secure our platform, and monetize content in appropriate ways) balanced against your rights. In some cases, we rely on consent (for example, sending marketing communications or processing sensitive info like allergies, or using certain cookies in jurisdictions where consent is required). Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time (see Section 11 on Your Rights).

4. How We Share and Disclose Information

We understand that your personal information and content are important, and we only share them in the ways described here (or where you otherwise consent). Dogspotting may share your information with the following categories of recipients:

• Service Providers (Processors): We employ or contract with third-party companies to perform services on our behalf and help operate Dogspotting. These service providers process data under our instructions and for our purposes. Examples include:

• Hosting and Infrastructure: Companies that provide cloud storage, databases, and server hosting for our app and website (ensuring your data and content are stored and delivered reliably).

• Analytics Partners: We use third-party analytics tools to understand app usage and improve performance. These partners (for example, a popular analytics service) may receive information about your device and usage (such as pages visited, interactions, and technical identifiers). We generally provide them with anonymous or aggregated data, but some analytics involve unique identifiers like your device ID or IP address. Analytics partners are restricted from using personal data for purposes beyond providing services to us.

• Crash Reporting and Performance Monitoring: We may use tools (such as Firebase Analytics/Crashlytics or similar SDKs) to collect crash logs and performance data from the app to diagnose issues. These tools might collect device information and user actions around the time of a crash.

• Email and Communication Tools: We may share your email address or push notification token with services that help us send out emails, newsletters, or push notifications (as described in Section 6). They use this information only to send messages on our behalf.

• Payment Processors: If you engage in any financial transactions, we share data with payment processing services and e-commerce platforms. For example, if we use Stripe or app store payment systems for processing payments, they will receive the necessary personal and financial data to complete the transaction (as noted in Section 2). Those third parties are responsible for data like your credit card info, and we receive limited information back (e.g., confirmation of payment).

• Business Partners and Integrations: In some cases, Dogspotting may partner with other companies or integrate third-party services that you choose to interact with:

• Social Media and Sharing: If you link Dogspotting with other social networks (for example, by sharing Dogspotting content to a platform like Instagram or using a social media login), we will send and/or receive data as needed to facilitate that integration. This could mean sharing a video you posted (and your username) to that network at your request. Also, if you engage with Dogspotting content on third-party platforms (e.g., a Dogspotting video on Facebook), those platforms might collect data governed by their own privacy policies.

• Advertising and Marketing Partners: We may allow partners to provide advertising or sponsored content in our Service. To measure effectiveness and avoid showing irrelevant ads, we might share certain limited data (like device identifiers or demographic info) with advertising partners or allow them to collect it via cookies or SDKs. For instance, we might use an ad network to show ads and share that a particular unidentified user (by an ID) is interested in dog food products. We do not share your name, contact info, or anything highly sensitive to advertisers without your permission. In some cases we may provide hash identifiers or aggregate segments (e.g., “500 users in Chicago who have large dog breeds”) to partners to help tailor campaigns. California residents can opt out of sharing used for targeted advertising as described in Section 11.

• Content and Media Partners: As noted, we may license or allow distribution of user-generated content. If a media company, publisher, or sponsor wants to feature some Dogspotting UGC (for example, to show a cute dog video on a TV show or website), we may share the content with them under the license you’ve granted us. This might include your publicly displayed information (like your username or caption that came with the content). These partners are contractually required to handle any personal data in the content in accordance with law, but the content itself may be publicly displayed in new contexts.

• Other Users and the Public: Content that you make public on Dogspotting is visible to others by design. If you post a photo, for example, any user of the app or visitor to our website may view it (unless we implement privacy settings that allow private or friends-only posting, in which case it would be limited as per those settings). Your profile information (like username, bio, profile picture, and list of followers/following) is also visible to others on the Service. Please recognize that information you share in public areas can be copied, screenshot, or re-shared by others outside our Service. We cannot control what other users do with information you’ve made public. However, if you believe someone is misusing your personal information from our Service in violation of our terms or the law, you can report it to us.

• Sale, Merger or Transfer of Business: If Dogspotting LLC is involved in a potential or actual merger, acquisition, investment, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, receivership, or sale of company assets, your personal information and content may be disclosed to the parties involved (e.g. to auditors, advisors, and the acquiring entity) as part of due diligence or transferred as part of the resulting transaction. This means that all user data, including personal info and UGC, could be one of the assets transferred to a third-party acquirer at any time. In such an event, we would ensure that the new owner is bound to respect your personal data in accordance with this Policy (or you’ll be given notice and a chance to opt out or delete your data if required by applicable law).

• Legal and Safety Disclosures: We may disclose information outside of Dogspotting if we believe, in good faith, that such disclosure is necessary to:

• Comply with the law or legal process (such as a lawful subpoena, court order, or government inquiry). We strive to only disclose what is required by law.

• Protect the rights, property, or safety of Dogspotting, our employees, our users, or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection and credit risk reduction, and investigating potential violations of our Terms or this Policy.

• Address emergencies (for example, imminent harm to a person or pet) or to report unlawful content (such as animal abuse content, which we would report to the authorities as appropriate).

• With Your Consent or At Your Direction: Apart from the scenarios above, we will share your personal information with others if you ask us to or expressly consent (for example, if you opt-in to a co-branded promotional event where we ask for permission to share your email with a sponsor, or if you use a feature to send a profile or content to a friend). In those cases, we’ll make clear what information will be shared and with whom, and you’ll have a chance to say no.

No Selling of Personal Data for Money: We do not sell your personal information for monetary consideration. In the context of CCPA, we also do not knowingly “sell” personal info of users under 16. However, the term “sell” or “share” under California law is broad and can include some of our routine data sharing (for example, using third-party advertising cookies could be deemed a “share” of identifiers for cross-context behavioral advertising). We treat such sharing as subject to opt-out rights for California residents, as detailed in Section 11.

5. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Like most online services, Dogspotting uses cookies, pixels, and mobile application SDKs to recognize you and your devices. This section explains these technologies and your choices.

Cookies: A cookie is a small text file that websites store on your browser or device. Cookies serve several functions: they enable core site functionality, remember your preferences (e.g. dark mode, language), and help us understand how you use our site. For instance, cookies allow you to stay logged in as you navigate between pages, and they let us know if you’ve visited before or if you’re a new visitor. Some cookies are session-based (deleted when you close your browser) and some are persistent (lasting for a set period or until you clear them).

We use cookies for purposes including:

• Authentication and Security: To log you into your account and keep you logged in securely, and to help us detect malicious activity or violations of our Terms.

• Preferences: To remember choices you’ve made on our site or app (like your chosen username or settings), so we can provide a customized experience.

• Analytics and Performance: To collect data about traffic and user interactions (which pages are visited, how often, what features are used). This helps us improve functionality and fix issues. We may use first-party analytics cookies and/or employ third-party analytics providers that set their own cookies (e.g., Google Analytics) to assist with this. These analytics cookies may collect information such as your IP address or device identifiers, and they can generate reports for us about overall user activity and patterns (without identifying individual users to the third party).

• Advertising and Social Media (if applicable): Currently, Dogspotting does not host third-party ads on the platform, but in the future we may allow advertising networks or social media plugins to set cookies. These cookies could be used to track your browsing across sites and build a profile of your interests, which helps in providing relevant ads. If and when we introduce these, we will update our cookie notices and provide opt-out mechanisms as required.

Web Beacons and Pixels: We may use tiny graphics (sometimes called clear GIFs or pixel tags) in our webpages or emails. These work in combination with cookies to identify our users and analyze usage. For example, if we send you a newsletter email, it might contain a pixel that tells us if you opened the email and what content you clicked on. This helps us gauge the effectiveness of our communications. On our site, a pixel might help us track conversions (like how many users who saw an in-app prompt then visited our website).

Mobile SDKs and Device IDs: In our mobile apps, we use software development kits (SDKs) provided by third parties. These SDKs can function similarly to cookies by collecting information from your device or storing information (in the app’s local storage, for instance). They might collect your device identifier, usage data, crash information, and so on, and send it to our servers or the third-party service (which then provides us with analysis or functionality). For example, the app may include an analytics SDK that tracks how long you use the app, or a crash reporting SDK that sends crash logs to the developer. Also, mobile devices provide an Advertising ID (like Apple’s IDFA or Google’s Ad ID); we or our partners might use these IDs for analytics or to link user behavior across apps (for advertising purposes, if we implement ads). You can usually reset or limit these IDs in your device settings (under privacy/ads).

Your Choices: When using our website, you can set your browser to block or alert you about cookies. You can also clear cookies at any time through your browser settings. However, be aware that if you disable cookies entirely, some features of Dogspotting might not function properly (for example, you may not stay logged in or some preferences might not be saved). On our mobile app, you can usually control certain tracking by changing your device privacy settings (for example, turning off ad personalization or resetting the advertising ID, and disabling location access if it was enabled). If we implement a cookie consent banner for users in regions that require it (like Europe), you can manage your cookie preferences through that interface when you first visit and anytime thereafter by clicking a “Cookie Settings” link (if provided).

For more details on cookies and how to manage them, you may consult resources like AllAboutCookies.org. We do not currently respond to “Do Not Track” signals from web browsers, because there is no consensus on what DNT means. We will update this Policy if that changes.

6. Push Notifications and Communications

We offer push notifications in our mobile applications to keep you informed about activity and updates. If you enable push notifications, your mobile device will be registered with our push notification service providers, which will use a unique device token to deliver notifications to you. Specifically, for Android users we utilize Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM), a service provided by Google, and for iOS users we use Apple Push Notification Service (APNS). These services act as conduits to send notifications; they do not typically access the content of your messages, but they will handle device identifiers. We may send different types of push notifications, such as:

• Account and Social Activity: e.g., when someone follows you, likes or comments on your post, or when we feature your content.

• Announcements and Updates: e.g., notifying you of new features, changes to this Policy or our Terms, or promotions and events related to Dogspotting.

• Reminders: e.g., a nudge if you haven’t opened the app in a while and there’s new content waiting, or reminders to complete your profile.

Opt-In/Opt-Out: We will only send push notifications if you have opted in by granting the app permission on your device. You can review or change your push notification preferences at any time. On Android, you can usually go to the app’s settings or your device’s notification settings to disable notifications from Dogspotting. On iOS, you can go to the iOS Settings > Notifications > Dogspotting to turn off notifications. Additionally, within our app settings, we may provide toggles for certain types of notifications. If you opt out of push notifications, you will still receive essential communications via email as needed (or within the app when you open it), but you won’t get real-time alerts on your phone home screen.

Email and SMS: Aside from push notifications, we may also communicate with you via email (and possibly SMS/text if you provide a phone number and consent to texts). Emails are used for account verification, receipts, customer support responses, newsletters, and marketing (if you’ve subscribed). You can unsubscribe from promotional emails at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link included in the footer of those emails or by contacting us. Please note, however, that we may still send you important administrative emails that are not promotional in nature (such as notice of a significant change to this Policy or a security notice). If we ever send SMS messages, those will be opt-in and you will have the ability to opt out by following the instructions in the message (e.g., replying “STOP”). Standard messaging rates would apply.

Firebase & Third-Party Involvement: As noted, we use Firebase Cloud Messaging to send push notifications. Firebase is governed by Google’s privacy policy, and Apple’s APNS is governed by Apple’s terms. These providers might collect some data (like aggregated delivery metrics or device info) as part of providing the service. We only use reputable providers and we do not share more data with them than necessary (usually just a device token and the message content to deliver).

By opting in to communications, you understand that some information will be transmitted through third-party systems (e.g., Apple or Google’s notification servers). We strive to keep your information secure in these processes and do not include sensitive personal information in notification content. If you have any issues with our communications, please let us know at team@dogspottingmedia.com.

7. User-Generated Content and License

User-generated content (“UGC”) is at the heart of Dogspotting. You retain ownership of any original content you create and post on our Service. However, to run our platform and promote our community, we require certain rights to use that content. By submitting or posting UGC on Dogspotting, you grant Dogspotting LLC a broad license to use your content:

License Grant: Specifically, you grant Dogspotting a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable, royalty-free license (with full rights to sublicense) to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, and otherwise exploit your User-Generated Content (in whole or in part) for any purpose and in any media now known or later developed. This license includes the right for Dogspotting to commercially use your content (for example, in advertising, merchandising, or content licensing deals) and to allow our partners or sublicensees to do the same. We may also use your name, likeness, voice, username, and any other information submitted in connection with the content as needed to make use of the UGC (for instance, to credit you or to include your profile picture if your video is featured on our site or social media).

In simpler terms, this means that if you post a photo or video on Dogspotting, we have your permission to show it to others, feature it in promotions, share it on other platforms, license it to other companies (such as a TV show or an advertiser), and make edits or create new content from it (such as adding music, captions, or combining it with other clips). We can do this without paying you royalties, and this permission continues even if you later delete the content or close your account. The license is “non-exclusive,” meaning you are free to use your content however you want elsewhere (we don’t own it; you do). But it is “perpetual” and “irrevocable,” meaning you can’t revoke our rights to the content you’ve already posted (except where required by law). If you prefer not to grant these rights, please do not upload content to Dogspotting.

Content Visibility: By default, content you post on Dogspotting is public (visible to everyone). In the future, we may introduce privacy controls (for example, posting only to certain followers), but unless and until those are available, assume that anything you post can be viewed and shared by anyone on the internet. Even if you remove the content later, other users might have saved or shared it, and we cannot retroactively remove those copies. We encourage you to think carefully about what you post, especially if it includes personal information about you or someone else. We are not responsible for what other users do with your public content.

UGC Guidelines: You are responsible for your content and ensuring it complies with our Terms and community guidelines. Do not post content that you do not have permission to use, or that violates any laws or others’ rights (for example, copyrighted images, someone’s personal data without consent, or anything harmful/illegal). We reserve the right to remove or moderate content that violates our policies or for any legitimate reason, and to cooperate with law enforcement as needed (see Section 12 on Moderation).

Removal of Content: If you delete a specific piece of content from Dogspotting (or remove it via your account interface), it will typically become inaccessible to other users. However, the license you granted us allows us to continue using that content in certain ways: for instance, if we already shared your video on our official social media, that post may remain available; if content was sublicensed to a third-party (e.g., a media partner), they may retain their usage rights; and our backup systems might retain a copy of the content for some time. If you have special concerns about content you posted (for example, if you accidentally posted personal info), contact us and we will try to assist. But generally, posting content on Dogspotting is a publication of that content; think of it as posting publicly to the world.

California “Do Not Sell” Note: From a privacy perspective, user content you post is something you intentionally make public. Under CCPA/CPRA, public posts you have directed to be shared (and which are viewable by anyone) may not be deletable on request if they fall under a legal exemption (though we usually will still remove content you delete from our platform). Just be aware that the broad license you grant means we might continue to use your content internally even if it’s not visible to others, to the extent allowed by law (for example, server backups or if needed for legal defense). That said, we will honor proper requests to delete personal data as described below in Section 11.

Your Profile: Content isn’t just photos and videos; your profile information (like your bio or profile picture) is also considered content you provide. By creating a profile and adding a picture or description, you similarly allow us to display and use that information. We might use profile info in marketing (e.g., showing a screenshot of a profile in an App Store preview of the app) or to promote the community, under the same license as above. If you delete or change your profile info, we’ll update what’s shown on our platform, but prior uses (like in a marketing graphic already produced) might continue.

If you have any questions about how we use user-generated content or the license terms, please refer to our Terms and Conditions or contact us. We want to foster a creative and respectful community, and transparency about content rights is part of that effort.

8. Data Storage and International Transfers

Dogspotting is based in the United States, and the data we collect is primarily stored and processed on servers located in the U.S. If you are accessing the Service from outside the United States, be aware that your personal information will be transferred to and stored in the U.S., and may also be processed in other countries where we or our service providers operate. These countries (including the U.S.) may not have the same level of data protection laws as your home country. We want you to be informed of this and we take steps to protect your data when we transfer it internationally.

Hosting and Storage: All user data (profiles, posts, etc.) is stored on secure servers provided by our hosting partners, which are located in data centers in the United States. Some data may be cached or stored in other regions for performance (for example, a content delivery network might cache images in servers closer to other users geographically), but our primary databases are US-based.

Third-Party Providers Abroad: Some of our service providers (as mentioned in Section 4) are based outside the U.S. or have servers globally. For example, if we use an email service that operates data centers in the EU, or an analytics service with servers in Asia, your data might flow through those locations. We contractually require our providers to handle your data securely and lawfully.

Legal Bases for Transfer (GDPR): If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or another region with data transfer restrictions, we rely on legally-provided mechanisms to transfer your data internationally. Typically, this includes using the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or equivalent safeguards in agreements with our service providers, which commit them to protect your data according to EU standards. We may also rely on your consent for certain transfers (for instance, if you are in the EU and use our service knowing your data will go to the U.S., that can be taken as implicit consent to the transfer), or other derogations under Article 49 GDPR if applicable (such as the transfer being necessary for the performance of the contract between you and us).

Your Consent to Transfer: By using Dogspotting, you understand that your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States and possibly other countries. If you do not want your information transferred or stored in the U.S. or outside of your country, you should not use our Service, or only use it in a limited way that does not involve providing personal data. We value all our users, wherever they are from, and we will apply the same security protections to your data regardless of jurisdiction. However, the legal protections in your country (especially if you are in the EU/UK) might not apply to U.S. entities.

Data Localization: At this time, we do not offer an option to keep your data stored only within a particular country or region. All data goes to our U.S. systems. If this is a concern, please consider this before providing personal information.

Retention in U.S.: Once in the U.S., your data may be accessible to U.S. authorities under American law (for example, in response to a lawful request like a court order or national security demand). We hope this never becomes an issue, but we want to be transparent that such laws exist. We do not voluntarily cooperate with government surveillance and will challenge overbroad requests, but ultimately we must comply with applicable law.

In summary, we strive to handle international data transfers in a secure and lawful way. If you have questions about our transfer mechanisms, contact us (see Section 15). We can provide more information on the safeguards we use.

9. Data Security

Dogspotting takes security seriously and has implemented measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration. We use a combination of administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the data. These include, for example, encryption of data in transit (HTTPS secure connections on the app and website), encryption of certain sensitive data at rest, firewalls and access controls to our servers, and limiting access to personal data only to employees or contractors who need it to operate the Service.

We also encourage you to take precautions on your end: use a strong, unique password for your Dogspotting account, do not share your login credentials, and log out if you are on a shared device.

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee absolute security. For example, we cannot ensure that hackers or cybercriminals will never be able to defeat our security measures. In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you and the appropriate authorities as required by law.

Security Features: We may offer additional security features, such as two-factor authentication, in the future. We recommend using such features when available. If you suspect any unauthorized access to your account or any security vulnerabilities, please contact us immediately at team@dogspottingmedia.com.

Payment Information: As noted, we do not store credit card numbers on our systems. Our payment partners are PCI-DSS compliant and employ their own security measures. Any payment information transmitted from our app to the payment processor is sent securely via encryption.

Children’s Privacy & Security: We have a special obligation to protect younger users (although our service is for 13+ only). If we do discover any personal data from a child (under 13) inadvertently, we will secure it and delete it as described in Section 13.

In summary, we work hard to protect your data, but you should also understand the inherent risks of sharing information online. We will continue to update and improve our security practices as new threats emerge and as industry standards evolve.

10. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which we collected it, including to provide you the Service and for legitimate business or legal purposes. How long we keep data depends on the type of data and the context in which it’s provided:

• Account Information: If you have an account with us, we will keep your account data while your account is active. This ensures you can continue to log in and use the Service over time. If you choose to delete your account (or we delete it due to inactivity or a violation), we will initiate deletion of your personal information from our active databases. However, we may retain certain information for a limited period afterward in backups or archives, or as required for legal compliance. For example, we might keep a record of the fact that you had an account and the date it was deleted to fulfill record-keeping obligations, or to prevent fraud (e.g., to enforce a ban, or ensure a user does not sign up again in violation of age restrictions).

• User-Generated Content: Content you post is retained until you delete it or delete your account. If you remove a specific post, it will no longer be visible to others, but residual copies may remain on our servers for a period of time (due to caching, backups, or the nature of our distributed storage). We periodically clear out deleted content from our backups, but it is possible that backups could be retained for several months. If you want something permanently removed sooner, you can contact us to request complete deletion, and we will do our best to accommodate (though in most cases, standard deletion through the app should suffice). Content that has been sublicensed to third parties or shared publicly (as described earlier) may exist outside our systems indefinitely.

• Transactional Data: If you make purchases or financial transactions through Dogspotting, we will retain transaction records as long as needed for financial reporting and compliance (typically at least 7 years, due to tax and accounting rules). This may include your name, contact, and transaction history, but not your payment card details (which we don’t store).

• Communications: If you contact customer support or we correspond via email, we may retain those communications for a period (for example, to reference a past issue if you reach out again, or for training/support quality purposes). Typically, support emails will be kept for a couple of years unless you request deletion.

• Analytics Data: We may retain aggregate analytics data (which does not directly identify individuals) indefinitely to help us understand trends over time. For user-specific analytics or logs, we generally either anonymize or delete them after a reasonable period once we’ve extracted useful insights.

• Legal Holds: If we are under a legal obligation to retain data (for example, a litigation hold, or information needed to comply with law enforcement or regulatory requirements), we will keep the data as long as required. Also, if needed for resolving disputes or enforcing our Terms, we might retain relevant information until the matter is closed.

When we no longer have a legitimate need to retain your personal information, we will securely dispose of it or anonymize it. For example, we might anonymize data for statistical analysis rather than deleting it entirely.

Account Deletion: You have the right to delete your account at any time. You can likely find a “Delete Account” option in your account settings in the app/website. (If not, you may request deletion by contacting us at our support email.) Upon account deletion, we will deactivate your account, remove or anonymize personal data, and delete your UGC from public view. Note that we may keep certain minimal information to document the deletion or for reasons stated above (fraud prevention, etc.). Also, if you log back in before the deletion is fully processed, your account might be reactivated (we will clarify the exact process in our support FAQs). If you simply uninstall the app without deleting your account, your account and data remain on our servers until you delete or request deletion.

Content Removal Without Deleting Account: If you wish to remove specific content (like a photo or comment) but keep your account, you can do so by deleting that content in the app (e.g., use the “delete” option on your post or comment). This will remove the content from public view promptly. As mentioned, lingering copies might persist temporarily in backups, but those are not accessible to other users. Removing content does not remove other personal data like your profile info; it only affects the content you chose to delete.

We aim to make deletion permanent (other than the exceptions noted). If for some reason we cannot fully delete data (for instance, if backups are immutable or required by law to be retained), we will instead ensure it is isolated and protected from any further use.

11. Your Rights and Choices

You have a number of rights and choices regarding your personal information and how it’s handled by Dogspotting. We have users in different jurisdictions, so this section is structured to cover rights generally available to all users, as well as additional rights specific to certain regions like the European Union (GDPR) and California (CCPA/CPRA). We are committed to enabling you to exercise these rights.

Access and Correction: You have the right to access the personal data we hold about you and to request correction of any inaccuracies. Many of your basic details can be accessed and edited directly in your account profile (for example, you can update your email, change your display name, modify your profile info). If you need a complete export of your data or have trouble finding specific information, you can contact us and we will provide you with a copy of your personal data in a common format (this is also known as the right to data portability). Likewise, if any personal data we have is incorrect or outdated, you can correct it through your account or ask us to correct it.

Deletion (Right to Erasure): You have the right to request deletion of your personal information. As noted in Section 10, you can delete your entire account via settings, or you can remove individual pieces of content. If you want us to delete data that isn’t accessible via those tools (for example, something in our logs), contact us and we will do our best to accommodate, provided we do not have a lawful reason to retain it. We will confirm with you when we have deleted the requested data or if an exception applies (such as needing to keep records for legal obligations). Keep in mind that after deletion requests, residual backup copies might take a short time to be erased, but we will not use your data during that interim beyond keeping it secure.

Withdrawal of Consent: Where we rely on your consent to process data (e.g., for sending marketing emails or for processing sensitive profile info like health-related data), you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. For example, you can unsubscribe from marketing emails or turn off a feature that you previously opted into. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the legality of any processing we did prior to withdrawal, and other bases may still allow us to process your data for the same purposes (we’ll inform you if that’s the case). If you withdraw consent for something like push notifications, we will stop sending them. If you withdraw consent for us to use a sensitive data field (like allergies), we might delete that field from your profile.

Objection and Restriction (GDPR-related): If you are in a jurisdiction that grants these rights (e.g., EU/UK), you may object to our processing of your personal data in certain circumstances. For instance, if we are processing your data based on legitimate interests, you can object if you feel our interests are overridden by your rights (unless we have compelling grounds or it’s needed for legal claims). You also have the right to object to processing for direct marketing at any time – if you object, we will stop using your data for marketing purposes immediately (this is like an unsubscribe, which you can do yourself as noted). Additionally, you can request that we restrict processing of your data in certain cases, such as while a complaint or request to correct inaccurate data is being resolved. Restriction means we would store your data but not actively use it until the issue is resolved. We’ll notify you before lifting any such restriction.

Portability: You have the right to obtain your personal data in a format that can be easily transferred to another service (a “machine-readable” format). If technically feasible, you can also request that we transmit this data directly to another service provider of your choice. In practice, for Dogspotting, this might involve giving you a structured JSON or CSV file containing your profile info, your posts and comments, etc. We are happy to provide this on request.

California Privacy Rights: If you are a California resident, you have certain additional rights under the CCPA/CPRA (California Civil Code Sec. 1798.100 and following). These include:

• Right to Know: You can request that we disclose to you the categories of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources of that information, the business or commercial purposes for collection, the categories of third parties with whom we share personal information, and specific pieces of personal information we hold about you. Essentially, you can ask for both a broad overview of our data practices concerning your information and a copy of the actual data. We have largely provided this information in this Privacy Policy, but we will also provide it in response to a verifiable request.

• Right to Delete: Similar to above, you can ask us to delete the personal information we have collected from you (with some exceptions as allowed by law, e.g., if the information is needed to complete a transaction, for security, to comply with a legal obligation, etc.). We will treat deletion requests from California residents with the same priority as any deletion request (see earlier in this section). If we must retain some data under an exception, we will let you know.

• Right to Correct: Under CPRA, California residents can request that we correct inaccurate personal information we maintain about them. We will take into account the nature of the personal information and the purposes of processing when accommodating such requests. As with other corrections, you can often correct things yourself via your profile or settings, but we will assist with any data you cannot change.

• Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing: You have the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information to third parties. As we noted, Dogspotting doesn’t sell personal data for money, but “sharing” under CPRA includes giving data to third parties for cross-context behavioral advertising. If we use advertising cookies or similar practices that share data with third-party advertisers, California users can opt out. We will honor such opt-out requests. In the future, our website may include a “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link or toggle for California residents to exercise this right easily. In the meantime, you can email us at team@dogspottingmedia.com with the subject “California Do Not Sell/Share Opt-Out” and provide your account identifier or email, and we will ensure that any applicable third-party marketing/advertising data sharing is stopped for your account. This will not affect our first-party use of your data for our own advertising to you (e.g., we might still show you Dogspotting promotions).

• Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: If we collect any “sensitive personal information” (as defined by CPRA) about you, California residents have the right to direct us to limit use of that information to certain exempt purposes (basically, to what’s necessary for the service). Sensitive info can include things like account passwords, precise geolocation, race/ethnicity, health data, etc. For Dogspotting, the main potentially sensitive data would be your allergies (health) if you provide it, or any precise location if we ever collect it. We do not use sensitive info for purposes beyond providing the service (we don’t use it for targeted advertising or disclosing to third parties except service providers). If you still wish to exercise this right, you can contact us and we will comply by, for example, removing any sensitive data fields or ensuring we no longer process them beyond the core service.

• Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights. This means we won’t deny you our services, charge you a different price, or provide a lesser quality experience just because you made a privacy request. (However, do note that deleting certain data or opting out of some uses may affect how well we can personalize your experience – for instance, if you opt out of targeted ads, you will still see ads but they might be less relevant to you.) Any financial incentive program (if we ever offer rewards for personal data) would be disclosed and optional, and we would never “punish” someone for not opting in.

Exercising Your Rights: To make any request as described above (access, deletion, etc.), you can:

• Use In-App/Website Features: We aim to have self-service tools. For example, account deletion can be initiated in settings, and profile edits you can do yourself. Start there for the quickest results.

• Contact Us via Email: Send an email to team@dogspottingmedia.com with your request. Please include your username or the email associated with your account and specify which right you wish to exercise. For example, “I am requesting a copy of all my personal data” or “Please delete my account and all data.” If you are a California resident or EU resident asserting legal rights, you can mention that too, but it’s not required.

• Contact by Mail: You may also mail us a written request at the address provided in Section 15. Make sure to include enough information to verify your identity (see below) and the specifics of your request.

Verification: For privacy and security, we will need to verify your identity (and authority, if you’re an authorized agent making the request for someone else) before fulfilling a serious request like access to data or deletion. This might involve confirming control of the email associated with your Dogspotting account (for instance, we may send a verification link or ask you to reply from that email), or asking for some information that only the account owner would know. We will make verification reasonable – e.g., we won’t ask for additional sensitive info just to process a deletion. For California residents: if you have an authorized agent do this on your behalf, we will require proof of authorization (such as a signed permission from you or a power of attorney) and we will still verify the identity either through you or the agent as allowed by law.

Response Time: We will respond to your request as soon as we can, generally within 30 days. If we need more time (up to an additional 30 or 60 days depending on the law), we will inform you of the reason and extension in writing. Access requests under GDPR will be fulfilled within one month unless they are complex. For CCPA, we aim for within 45 days (with a possible 45-day extension, total 90 days). Deletion requests we usually handle promptly after verification.

Cost: Exercising your rights is free of charge. We will not charge you a fee for processing a reasonable request. If, in exceptional cases, a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive (for example, repeated requests, or an excessive volume of data to be printed and mailed), we may charge a reasonable fee or refuse to act on it, but we’ll explain why.

Limitations: Some rights may be limited by applicable law. For example, if fulfilling your request would reveal personal data about another person, we might need to redact or refuse that portion. If you request deletion of information that we are required by law to keep (say, for tax records), we may deny that part of the request but delete everything else. We will always inform you of any denial and the reason, to the extent allowed. Also, note that if you request deletion, we may not be able to provide the Service to you any longer (since it’s inherently needed for an account). We won’t discriminate as said, but deletion is inherently a termination of service if you remove all your data.

Opting Out of Communications: We touched on this, but to reiterate:
- You can unsubscribe from emails by clicking the link in any promotional email or via your account settings (if available). You can also email us to remove you from marketing lists.
- You can opt out of push notifications by adjusting your device settings (Section 6).
- If we ever send SMS, instructions to stop will be in the message.

Cookies Opt-Out: See Section 5 for controlling cookies. If applicable, use our cookie consent manager or browser’s Do Not Track with understanding we might not fully support DNT. For interest-based advertising, you can also use tools like the DAA’s WebChoices or AppChoices to opt out on a broader scale (this will opt you out of many companies’ tracking, including possibly those we use).

Shine the Light (California): California’s “Shine the Light” law (Civil Code § 1798.83) allows users of our Service who are California residents to request certain information about our disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. We do not share personal information with third parties for their own direct marketing purposes without your consent (and currently we do not engage in such sharing at all). Therefore, we believe we are compliant with this aspect. If you have questions, you can contact us.

EU/UK Supervisory Authority: If you are in the EU or UK and have a complaint about our data practices, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your country’s data protection authority or the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). We would appreciate the chance to address your concerns first, so please consider reaching out to us.

We hope this section clarifies your rights. We are dedicated to respecting them. If you need any further explanation or assistance, do not hesitate to contact us (see Contact Us below).

12. Administrative and Moderator Access

Dogspotting strives to maintain a safe and enjoyable platform. To do this, we have certain admin-level accounts and authorized moderators with elevated access rights. This section explains the role of these accounts and how we protect user data in that context.

Who Are Moderators/Admins? They include Dogspotting’s internal team (employees or contractors tasked with community management) and possibly community volunteers or appointed moderators who help enforce our guidelines. All such individuals are bound by confidentiality obligations and are trained in privacy and security practices.

What Can They Access? Administrator accounts have the technical ability to access content and information that may not be visible to regular users. For example:
- They can review content that has been reported by users for potential violations (including content that might have been set to private, if that feature exists in the future, or content that’s been deleted but is still stored on our servers pending permanent removal).
- They may access user profile information and account details beyond what is public, such as the email address associated with an account, IP logs (to investigate suspicious activity or ban evaders), and other metadata necessary for moderation (e.g., timestamps of posts, edit history).
- They have the capability to take administrative actions like suspending or banning accounts, removing or editing content that violates policies, and in extreme cases, accessing logs or database entries directly to resolve technical issues or fulfill user requests (like data export or account merge).

Purpose of Access: Such elevated access is used strictly for moderation, security, and operational maintenance purposes. We do not allow admin or moderator access for casual browsing of user data. It is only used when necessary – for instance, when a piece of content is reported, a moderator will view that content (and possibly the context around it, like the user’s other recent posts or messages, if relevant) to judge if it breaks the rules. If we suspect an account is a bot or is underage, an admin might check the account details (like the age provided or posting pattern) to verify.

Privacy Safeguards: All admin and moderator actions are logged. Dogspotting maintains an audit trail of when sensitive user data is accessed via admin tools, to ensure it’s for legitimate reasons. Misuse of admin privileges is a serious violation and can lead to termination of the individual’s access and other legal consequences. For community volunteer moderators (if any), we limit their access level – they might only see what’s necessary (for example, they might see reported content and the username, but not a user’s email or IP; higher sensitive info is kept to core staff only).

We also use automated tools wherever possible to minimize human access. For instance, if content is clearly spam or malware, our systems might auto-remove it without a person reading it. But for nuanced cases, human review is needed, and that’s when mods step in.

User Messages: Currently, Dogspotting focuses on public content (photos, comments). If in the future we introduce private messaging between users, we will update how those are handled. Typically, private messages are not actively monitored, but if a user reports a direct message for harassment or abuse, authorized staff may access the specific messages involved to investigate. We will treat private communications with extra sensitivity.

Safety and Legal: Moderator access may also be used to respond to emergencies. For example, if we become aware of a threat of harm (someone posting about self-harm or a threat to others), our team might access relevant information (like account data, content) to take action, such as contacting authorities or emergency services as appropriate. Our priority is user safety, and we will use the tools at our disposal responsibly to that end.

In summary, Dogspotting’s admin and moderator accounts have special access only as much as needed to keep the community safe, enforce our Terms, and maintain the integrity of the Service. We treat user data viewed in this context as highly confidential. If you have any questions or concerns about how moderation works, you can contact us for more information.

13. Children’s Privacy

Dogspotting is intended for users who are 13 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from anyone under the age of 13, in compliance with the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Our Service, content, and community interactions are all designed with a general audience in mind and are not directed at young children. If you are under 13, please do not attempt to register for or use Dogspotting, or send any personal information about yourself to us.

If we learn that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child under 13, we will take prompt steps to delete that information from our records. For example, if a 12-year-old manages to sign up by lying about their age, once discovered, we will delete their account and data. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under 13, please notify us at team@dogspottingmedia.com so that we can investigate and take appropriate action.

Teenagers (13–17): Teens aged 13 to 17 (or older, depending on the jurisdiction’s age of majority) are permitted to use Dogspotting but only with the consent and supervision of a parent or legal guardian. We strongly advise parents of teens to be aware of their teens’ online activities and to educate them about privacy and safety.

Parental Consent in Certain Regions: Under GDPR and similar laws, in EU member states and some other countries, if you are between the ages of 13 and 16, you may require parental or guardian consent to use certain online services (the exact age cut-off varies by country; for example, 16 in some, 13 in others). Dogspotting does not actively verify the age or seek parental consent for users in that 13–16 bracket, because we simply restrict the service entirely to those 13 and up and assume users entering a birth date are truthful. By using Dogspotting, you affirm that you are old enough to do so in your jurisdiction, and if parental authorization is needed, that you have obtained it. We encourage families to communicate about these rules: if you are 13–16 and not sure if you can join, please talk to your parent/guardian. If a parent or guardian learns that a minor under their custody (13–16) has created an account without consent and wants it removed, they should contact us, and we will delete the account and associated data promptly.

No Age Verification Mechanism: We currently do not have a technical age verification process (such as ID checks) when users sign up. We rely on the birthdate provided at registration (if we collect it) and the user’s statement that they are eligible. This is consistent with industry practice but means there is a possibility someone under 13 could attempt to misrepresent their age. We will keep our policies under review and may implement stricter age gating if necessary (especially if laws change to require more robust verification).

Content Appropriateness: While Dogspotting is about sharing fun and cute content about dogs, we cannot guarantee that all user-generated content will be appropriate for children or younger teens. We have rules against explicit or harmful content, but moderation might not catch everything immediately. Thus, even for our permitted teen users (13+), parental guidance is recommended.

International Users Under 18: For minors between 13 and 18 using our Service from outside the U.S., note that your information will be handled as described in this Policy (including being transferred to the U.S.). If you are under 18, you have additional rights in some places to request removal of certain content you posted (sometimes called the “Eraser Law” in places like California for minors). We already allow you to delete content you posted (Section 10 and 11 discuss deletion), and we honor such requests. If you need assistance removing something you posted as a minor, let us know. Keep in mind that removal from public view does not ensure complete or comprehensive removal from the internet (especially if content was copied or reposted by others).

Parents and Guardians: We urge you to supervise your children’s online activities. If you have any specific concerns about your child’s data on Dogspotting, contact us. We are happy to work with you to ensure any data inadvertently collected is deleted, and to provide information on what data may have been collected.

By using Dogspotting, users represent that they meet the minimum age requirements and agree to abide by our content rules. We reserve the right to ask for proof of age in suspect cases and to remove users who do not meet our age criteria.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update or revise this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we make changes, we will post the updated Policy on this page with a new effective date and/or last updated date. Any updated version will be indicated by the “Last Updated” date at the top. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

If we make material changes that substantially affect your rights or how we use personal data, we will provide a more prominent notice (such as by emailing the address associated with your account, or by placing a notice within the app or on our website) and obtain your consent if required by law. For example, if we were to start collecting new types of personal data or sharing data in new ways not covered by this current Policy, we would notify you and, if necessary, seek your consent.

Your continued use of Dogspotting after any changes signifies your acceptance of the revised Policy, so please check back regularly. If you do not agree with any update, you may need to stop using the Service or exercise your rights as described (for instance, deleting your account if you do not accept the new terms).

In summary, while we reserve the right to modify this Policy, our fundamental commitment to your privacy will not change. We will always handle your personal information in accordance with the Policy in effect at the time of collection, unless we have your consent to handle it differently.

(For reference, prior versions of our Privacy Policy can be requested by contacting us. We maintain an archive of changes for transparency.)

15. How to Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please do not hesitate to contact us:

Dogspotting LLC
1509 Waukegan Road #1205
Glenview, IL 60025
United States

Email: team@dogspottingmedia.com

We will do our best to respond promptly to your inquiry (generally within a few business days). For privacy-specific requests (as outlined in Section 11), contacting us via email is usually most efficient. Please include “Privacy” in the subject line of your email if possible, to help us route it correctly.

You may also reach out to us through any in-app support feature if one is available, or via direct message on our official social media accounts. However, for formal privacy queries and rights exercises, email or mail is preferred so we can properly authenticate and document the request.

EU/UK Representative: (If required by law, we will designate a representative in the EU or UK for data protection matters and will update this Policy with their contact details. As of the Last Updated date above, Dogspotting primarily serves US users, but we welcome users globally and will comply with international requirements as needed.)

Thank you for taking the time to read our Privacy Policy. We care about your privacy and aim to be transparent about our data practices. We hope you enjoy sharing and spotting dogs on Dogspotting with confidence that your information is handled responsibly. If you have any feedback or suggestions about privacy on Dogspotting, we welcome your input.