Privacy Policy
1. Who We Are
CanineConnect ("we," "our," or "us") is a two-sided marketplace connecting dog owners with professional dog trainers. We are operated by Polsia Inc. Questions about this policy can be sent to privacy@canineconnect.polsia.app.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Account Information
When you create an account, we collect:
- Full name
- Email address
- Account type (dog owner or trainer)
- Date and time of account creation
- Whether you agreed to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (timestamp recorded)
2.2 Profile Information
Dog Owners: Location (city/state), dog profiles (name, breed, age, weight, behavioral notes).
Trainers: Display name, bio, location, specialties, certifications, service tiers, pricing, availability, YouTube video URLs, profile photo.
2.3 Payment Data
Payments are processed by Stripe. We do not store raw credit card numbers or full payment card data. Stripe transmits payment confirmations and session tokens to us. We store booking records including amounts charged and timestamps. Stripe's privacy policy applies to payment data: stripe.com/privacy.
2.4 Messaging Content
Messages sent between owners and trainers through the platform are stored in our database to deliver the messaging service, display message history, and handle disputes. We do not read messages unless required to investigate a violation report or legal obligation.
2.5 Booking Records
Session bookings, cancellations, confirmation statuses, and payment history are stored and associated with your account.
2.6 Usage Data & Analytics
We collect anonymized page view data including:
- Hashed IP address (SHA-256, not reversible to raw IP)
- Pages visited and referral source
- Browser/device type (user agent)
- UTM campaign parameters
- Session timestamps
This data is used to improve the platform and measure feature adoption. It is not sold or shared with advertisers.
2.7 Cookies & Local Storage
We use browser local storage to maintain your login session and remember preferences. See our Cookie Policy for details.
3. How We Use Your Information
- Provide and operate the platform (matching owners with trainers, facilitating bookings)
- Process payments through Stripe
- Send transactional emails (booking confirmations, session reminders)
- Display your profile to other users as appropriate to your role
- Investigate reported violations of our Terms of Service
- Improve platform features and performance
- Comply with legal obligations
We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your data for behavioral advertising.
4. Data Sharing
4.1 Between Users
Trainer profiles (name, bio, location, specialties, pricing) are visible to dog owners on the platform. Owner names and dog information are shared with trainers they book sessions with.
4.2 Service Providers
We share data with trusted service providers only to the extent necessary to operate the platform:
- Stripe — payment processing
- YouTube (Google LLC) — video hosting for training videos (Unlisted)
- Neon / PostgreSQL — database hosting
- Render — application hosting
- Polsia — AI infrastructure provider
These providers are contractually bound to protect your data and may not use it for their own purposes.
4.3 Third-Party Video Hosting (YouTube)
Training videos submitted through the Platform are hosted via the YouTube API. YouTube is operated by Google LLC. By using video features on the Platform, video data (content and metadata) is processed by YouTube subject to Google's Privacy Policy and the YouTube Terms of Service.
4.4 Legal Requirements
We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or government authority, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of CanineConnect, our users, or the public.
5. Video Data & Hosting
5.1 How Your Videos Are Stored
Videos uploaded to CanineConnect are set to Unlisted visibility on YouTube. This means:
- They do not appear in YouTube search results
- They are not listed on any public YouTube channel
- They can only be accessed by someone with the direct video link
- Only you and your assigned trainer receive access to those links
5.2 Content Ownership
You retain 100% ownership of all training videos you upload. CanineConnect does not claim ownership over your video content. You may delete your videos from the platform at any time, which will also remove them from YouTube hosting. Deletion requests are processed within 30 days.
5.3 Data Collected via Video
In connection with video uploads, we may collect:
- Video file metadata (duration, format, upload timestamp)
- YouTube video ID (for embedding and playback)
- Trainer feedback and time-stamped annotations associated with the video
We do not analyze video content using AI or computer vision without your explicit consent.
6. Data Retention
We retain your account data as long as your account is active. If you request deletion, we will remove your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law (e.g., financial records for 7 years).
Anonymized analytics data (hashed IPs, aggregate page views) may be retained indefinitely.
7. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have rights including:
- Access: Request a copy of your personal data
- Correction: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
- Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data
- Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format
- Objection: Object to certain processing activities
- Withdrawal of Consent: Withdraw consent for optional data uses
To exercise these rights, email privacy@canineconnect.polsia.app.
8. CCPA (California Residents)
California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):
- Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
- Right to delete personal information
- Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal data)
- Right to non-discrimination for exercising CCPA rights
To submit a CCPA request, email privacy@canineconnect.polsia.app with "CCPA Request" in the subject line.
9. GDPR (EEA/UK Residents)
If you are located in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom, our legal bases for processing your data include:
- Contract performance: Processing necessary to provide our services to you
- Legitimate interests: Analytics, fraud prevention, security
- Legal obligation: Financial recordkeeping
- Consent: Optional communications (you may withdraw at any time)
For GDPR requests, contact privacy@canineconnect.polsia.app.
10. Data Security
We use industry-standard safeguards including:
- Encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS) for all data in transit
- Database access controls and authentication
- Session tokens stored securely
- Regular security reviews
No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but take reasonable measures to protect your data.
11. Children's Privacy
CanineConnect is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If we discover such data has been collected, we will delete it promptly. Contact us at privacy@canineconnect.polsia.app if you believe a child's data has been submitted.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by updating the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, sending an email to your registered address. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
13. Contact
Questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy:
CanineConnect Privacy Team
Email: privacy@canineconnect.polsia.app