Privacy Policy — Pally Companion

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Account Information: When you create an account using Google Sign-In, we receive your email address and display name from your Google profile. If you create an account using email and password, we collect your email address and password. Passwords are securely hashed and never stored in plain text.
• Age Confirmation: During account creation, you confirm that you are 18 years of age or older and that you have read and accepted this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Service.
• Pet Nickname: You may optionally set a nickname for your virtual pet during onboarding.
• Display Name: You may optionally set a display name visible to friends on leaderboards.
• Friend Connections: If you use the Friends feature, we collect your friend code and the friend codes of users you connect with.
• Shopping Lists: If you use the voice-activated shopping list feature, we store your list names and items locally and in the cloud for cross-device sync.
• Reminders: If you use the reminders feature, we store reminder titles, scheduled times, recurrence settings, and notification preferences locally on your device. Reminder data is not uploaded to our servers. Reminders may override your device's Do Not Disturb settings if you have granted that permission.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Step Count Data: With your explicit permission, we access step count data from Health Connect (which may aggregate data from Samsung Health, Google Fit, Fitbit, Garmin, or other fitness apps). This requires the Activity Recognition permission on your device. We only read daily step counts. We do not access heart rate, sleep, nutrition, or other health metrics. See Section 3.1 for how this data is used and protected.
• Device Information: We collect a unique device identifier to enforce our one-active-device policy and prevent abuse. We do not collect your phone number or contacts.
• Wellness Check-Ins: When you check off wellness activities (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma), we record which categories were checked and when.
• Pet Interaction Data: We store your pet's hunger, happiness, and bond levels, as well as your inventory (apples, tennis balls) and star balance.
• Crash Diagnostics: We use Firebase Crashlytics to automatically collect crash reports when the App encounters an error. This includes stack traces, device model, operating system version, and a random installation identifier. Crash reports do not contain personal information such as your name or email address. See Section 4.5 for details.
• Usage Data: We collect anonymous usage statistics through Firebase Analytics (see Section 4.5) to understand which features are used and to improve the App. This includes session duration, screen views, and feature usage events. This data does not include your name, email, or other personal identifiers.

1.3 Voice Data

• Voice Commands: When you tap your pet to issue voice commands, your speech is processed by Google Speech Services on your device. We do not record, store, or transmit audio recordings. Only the text result of speech recognition is processed locally to execute commands.

1.4 Camera and Location

• Camera Hardware: The App may access your device's camera hardware solely to toggle the flashlight on and off via voice command. We do not capture photos, videos, or any image data.
• Location: The App may request location permission only to provide weather information when you ask for it via voice command. Your approximate location (city level) is sent to OpenWeather API to retrieve current weather data. We do not track, store, or log your location. Location access is not required for any other App feature.
• Brightness: The App may adjust your device's screen brightness via voice command. We do not log or transmit brightness settings.
• App Launching: When you use voice commands to open another app, we query your device for matching installed apps. We do not collect, store, or transmit your list of installed apps.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide and maintain the App's features, including your virtual pet companion
• Sync your progress across devices via our cloud backend
• Enable friend connections and step count leaderboards
• Convert your daily step count into star rewards for pet care and friendly competition
• Track your pet's condition and bond level
• Process voice commands locally on your device
• Deliver reminders you have set at your chosen times
• Identify and fix crashes and bugs (via crash reports)
• Prevent abuse and enforce fair play (one-device policy)
• Improve and optimize the App
• Respond to your inquiries and support requests

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We do not use your data for advertising of any kind.

We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

• With Your Consent: We may share information when you explicitly authorize us to do so.
• With Friends: If you add friends, they can see your display name (or email prefix if no display name is set), step count (unless privacy mode is enabled), and position on the leaderboard.
• Service Providers: We use the third-party services listed in Section 4 solely to operate the App. These providers process data in accordance with their own privacy policies and applicable data protection laws.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, legal process, or governmental request.

3.1 Health Connect Data — Limited Use Disclosure

Your step count data accessed through Health Connect is subject to additional protections:

• Your step count data is used ONLY to calculate star rewards and to display your progress on friend leaderboards. These are the sole purposes.
• Your step count data is NEVER sold to any third party.
• Your step count data is NEVER used to serve advertisements or for any advertising purpose.
• Your step count data is NEVER shared with data brokers, analytics platforms, or any entity not disclosed in this policy.
• Your step count data is stored securely on our servers (Supabase) solely for the purpose of syncing your progress across devices and enabling friend leaderboards.
• You can revoke Health Connect access at any time through your device's Health Connect settings. The App will continue to function without step tracking; you simply will not earn stars from walking.

4. Third-Party Services

The App integrates with the following third-party services:

4.1 Supabase

• Purpose: Cloud database, user authentication, and data synchronization
• Data Shared: Email, encrypted password (if applicable), game progress, pet stats, star balance, friend connections
• Privacy Policy: supabase.com/privacy

4.2 Health Connect (Android)

• Purpose: Read daily step count data from fitness apps on your device
• Data Accessed: Daily step counts only (read-only; we do not write to Health Connect)
• Privacy Policy: Google Health Connect

4.3 Google Speech Services

• Purpose: Convert your voice to text for voice commands
• Data Processed: Audio is processed on-device; only the resulting text is used locally
• Privacy Policy: Google Privacy Policy

4.4 OpenWeather API

• Purpose: Provide weather information when requested via voice command
• Data Shared: Approximate location (city level) at the time of the request only
• Privacy Policy: OpenWeather Privacy Policy

4.5 Firebase (Google)

• Crashlytics: Automatic crash reporting to help us identify and fix bugs. Collects crash stack traces, device model, operating system version, app version, and a random Crashlytics installation identifier. Does NOT collect your name, email, account information, or any personal data.
• Analytics: Collects anonymous usage statistics including session duration, screen views, and feature usage events. This data is used solely to understand how the App is used and to improve it. Analytics does NOT collect your name, email, or other personal identifiers.
• Privacy Policy: Firebase Privacy

5. Data Retention and Deletion

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services.

5.1 Account Deletion

You can delete your account at any time through either of these methods:

• In the App: Go to Settings > Account > Delete Account
• On the Web: Visit pallycompanion.com/delete-account

When you request account deletion:

1. Your account enters a 30-day grace period during which your data is retained but your account is deactivated.
2. During the grace period, you can cancel the deletion by signing back in and choosing to keep your account.
3. After 30 days, your account and all associated data are permanently and irreversibly deleted, including:
   • Your account credentials and profile
   • Your game progress, pet data, star balance, and inventory
   • Your friend connections and leaderboard entries
   • Your wellness check-in history
   • Your shopping lists stored in the cloud
4. Other users will no longer see you on leaderboards or in their friends list.
5. Locally stored data (reminders, preferences) can be cleared by uninstalling the App.

5.2 Data Retained After Deletion

After permanent deletion, we may retain:

• Anonymized, aggregated analytics data that cannot be linked back to you
• Deletion audit logs (recording that a deletion occurred, but not your personal data) as required for security and legal compliance

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS) for all communication between the App and our servers
• Secure password hashing (passwords are never stored in plain text)
• Row-level security in our database (users can only access their own data)
• Device-based session management
• Crash reporting that excludes personal information

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and data (see Section 5)
• Portability: Request your data in a portable format
• Opt-Out: Disable optional features like step tracking or friend connections

To exercise these rights, contact us at the email address in Section 13.

7.1 Managing Permissions

You can manage App permissions through your device settings at any time:

• Revoke microphone access to disable voice commands
• Revoke Health Connect access to disable step tracking (you will stop earning stars from walking)
• Revoke overlay permission to hide the pet overlay
• Revoke location access to disable weather voice commands

8. Age Requirement

The App is intended for users who are 18 years of age or older. By creating an account, you confirm that you are at least 18 years old.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18. We do not target, market to, or design features for children.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe that someone under 18 has created an account or provided personal information to us, please contact us immediately at the email address in Section 13. We will promptly investigate and delete any such account and associated data.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. Our backend provider, Supabase, operates data centers globally, and data may be stored in the United States or other jurisdictions.

We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in compliance with applicable data protection laws.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by:

• Posting a notice within the App
• Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

11. California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to Know: You may request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
• Right to Delete: You may request deletion of your personal information (see Section 5).
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale: We do not sell personal information to third parties, so no opt-out mechanism is necessary.

12. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Legal Basis: We process your data based on your consent (account creation, Health Connect access) and legitimate interests (providing the service, preventing abuse).
• Data Controller: Pally Companion LLC (see Section 13 for contact information) acts as the data controller.
• Health Data Consent: Health data (step counts) is processed based on your explicit consent, which you provide when granting Health Connect permission. You may withdraw this consent at any time by revoking Health Connect access in your device settings.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. You can do this by revoking permissions in your device settings, deleting your account (see Section 5), or contacting us.
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

14. Summary of Data Practices

What We Collect:

• [YES] Email address (for account login, provided directly or via Google Sign-In)
• [YES] Step count (from Health Connect, with your permission, used ONLY for star rewards and friend leaderboards)
• [YES] Device ID (for one-active-device policy)
• [YES] Game progress (pets, stars, inventory, bond levels)
• [YES] Wellness check-ins
• [YES] Friend connections and leaderboard data
• [YES] Shopping lists
• [YES] Reminders (stored locally on your device only)
• [YES] Crash reports (automatic, anonymized, via Firebase Crashlytics)

What We DO NOT Collect:

• [NO] Phone number
• [NO] Contacts or address book
• [NO] Photos, videos, or camera images (camera hardware is used for flashlight toggle only)
• [NO] Precise location or location history (approximate city used for weather only, not stored)
• [NO] Heart rate, sleep, nutrition, or health data beyond step count
• [NO] Audio recordings (voice is processed on-device, not stored or transmitted)
• [NO] Browsing history
• [NO] Data from other apps (Health Connect only provides step counts you have authorized)
• [NO] Advertising identifiers

What We NEVER Do:

• [NEVER] Sell your personal information
• [NEVER] Share your data with advertisers or data brokers
• [NEVER] Use your health data for any purpose other than the fitness features described above
• [NEVER] Target children or knowingly collect data from users under 18