Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 28, 2026 (version 2026-04-28)

This Privacy Policy explains what information Parallel.Pet (“we,” “us”) collects, how we use it, and the choices you have. We’ve tried to write it in plain language. If anything is unclear, email us at hello@parallel.pet.

1. Information you give us

  • Account info. When you sign up with email or Google, we receive your email address and, for Google sign-in, your name and profile picture as provided by Google.
  • Your profile. Display name, bio, neighborhood, optional avatar, and an optional approximate home location. If you share your location, we store it as a fuzzed point (we do not store your exact street address).
  • Your dog’s profile. Name, breed, birth date, size, energy level, temperament tags, self-reported vaccination and neuter status, bio, and photos or short videos you upload.
  • Messages and events. Messages you send to other users, playdate and walk events you host or RSVP to, and post-event reviews (thumbs up/down and an optional note).
  • Reports and blocks. If you block or report another user, we record that so we can enforce your preferences and investigate safety issues.

2. Information we collect automatically

  • Session cookies. We use cookies from our auth provider (Supabase) to keep you signed in. We do not use third-party advertising cookies.
  • Analytics cookies (with your consent). If you accept on the cookie banner, we load Google Analytics (GA4) to measure how the site is used — pages viewed, broad device and country, traffic sources. Until you accept, GA runs in “denied” mode and does not write the _ga cookies. You can change your choice anytime in Settings → Account → Privacy & analytics.
  • Basic request logs. Our hosting provider (Vercel) records standard server logs (IP address, user agent, timestamps) for security and debugging.
  • Error monitoring. We use Sentry to capture JavaScript errors so we can fix bugs. We do not record your screen or your interactions; what we see is the error itself (stack trace, URL, browser and OS version).

3. How we use your information

  • To operate the core Service — create your account, match you with nearby dogs, deliver messages, host events, display profiles.
  • To keep the Service safe — enforce blocks, investigate reports, prevent abuse.
  • To communicate with you about the Service (for example, to notify you of a new message, friend request, or material update to these policies).
  • To improve the product — understand which features people use and fix bugs. Where possible, we use aggregated or de-identified data for this.
  • To comply with law and legitimate legal requests.

4. Who can see what

  • Public to other signed-in users: your display name, bio, avatar, neighborhood, your dogs’ profiles and media, and events you have created or RSVPed to.
  • Approximate, not exact: your home location is stored and shown as a fuzzed point — enough to match on proximity, not enough to identify your address. Event locations you create are exact (other attendees need to find the meetup).
  • Private: your email address, direct messages, friend requests, blocks, and reports. Messages in a thread are visible to the participants in that thread.

5. Service providers we share with

We use a small number of service providers to run Parallel.Pet. They process your data on our behalf:

  • Supabase — authentication, database, media storage, and realtime messaging. Your profile data, dog data, messages, and uploaded photos/videos are stored with Supabase.
  • Vercel — hosts the web app and keeps standard access logs (IP address, user agent, timestamps) for security and debugging.
  • Sentry — error monitoring. Receives JavaScript error details (stack trace, URL, browser/OS version) when something goes wrong, so we can fix it.
  • Google — if you choose Google sign-in, Google shares basic account info (email, name, picture) with us. If you accept analytics cookies, Google Analytics (GA4) receives standard analytics events (page views, referrer, broad device and country) to help us understand product usage.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with advertisers. We may disclose information if required by law, to respond to lawful requests, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of Parallel.Pet or its users.

6. Your choices and rights

  • Edit or delete your data. You can edit your profile, your dogs, and your uploaded media at any time from the settings page. You can delete your account from Settings → Account; this anonymizes your profile, soft-deletes your dogs, and prevents you from signing back in.
  • Block and report. Use the block and report controls to limit or flag other users.
  • Access, correction, deletion. Depending on where you live, you may have rights under laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or the EU/UK GDPR to access, correct, or delete your personal information, and to object to certain uses. Email us at privacy@parallel.pet to make a request.
  • Location. Revoke location permission in your browser at any time.

7. Data retention

We keep your account data while your account is active. When you delete your account we soft-delete your profile and your dogs’ profiles, which hides them from other users but keeps shared records (like messages you’ve sent to others, or reviews you’ve left) intact so the other party’s experience isn’t broken. We may keep a limited record of blocks, reports, and safety-relevant actions as long as reasonably needed. Standard server logs are kept for a short period for security and debugging.

8. Children

Parallel.Pet is not directed to children under 18, and we do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has given us information, email us and we will delete it.

9. Security

We use industry-standard measures to protect your information: encrypted transport (HTTPS), hashed credentials, role-based access controls, and row-level security in our database. No system is perfectly secure, so we can’t guarantee absolute security.

10. International users

Parallel.Pet is operated from the United States and our service providers may process your data in the United States or other countries. By using the Service you consent to that processing.

11. Changes to this policy

If we make material changes to this Privacy Policy we will notify you through the Service or by email and, where appropriate, ask you to re-accept it. The “Last updated” date at the top reflects the current version.

12. Contact

Questions about privacy? Email us at privacy@parallel.pet.