Third-Party Data Sharing

At How My Pet, we value the trust our users place in us by choosing our services. We are committed to ensuring that your personal information is handled responsibly and with transparency. This document provides an overview of how we share your data with third parties. It covers the types of data we share, the reasons for sharing, and the measures we take to protect your privacy. Our practices comply with international data protection standards, and we strive to maintain the highest levels of transparency in our data-sharing practices.

Third-party data sharing is a necessary aspect of providing the full range of services at How My Pet. We work with various partners and service providers to enhance the functionality of our platform, deliver our products to customers, improve user experience, and meet legal requirements. This document aims to give you a clear understanding of the types of third parties we work with, the data we share, and the safeguards we put in place to protect your privacy.

Categories of Third Parties We Share Data With

We share user data with several categories of third parties, each serving a specific purpose in delivering or improving our services. These third parties include:

1. Service Providers

We collaborate with service providers, such as cloud hosting services and payment processors, who assist us in delivering our services effectively and efficiently. The categories of service providers we work with include:

• Payment Processors: To handle transactions securely, we share payment information with trusted payment processors. These companies process payments, prevent fraud, and ensure that transactions are completed smoothly.
• Shipping Partners: We work with shipping companies to fulfill orders and ensure that products reach our customers on time. We share data such as name, shipping address, and contact information to facilitate deliveries and provide real-time tracking information.
• Cloud Hosting Providers: To store and manage data securely, we use cloud hosting services. These providers are responsible for managing data storage and ensuring that our platform runs smoothly and without interruptions.
• Customer Support Partners: We collaborate with customer support service providers to respond to user inquiries and provide assistance. These partners have limited access to user data required for resolving support issues.

2. Business Partners

We may share data with business partners to enhance our services or offer co-branded products, such as special pet care bundles developed in partnership with well-known pet supply brands. Business partners help us provide better services, expand our product offerings, and create additional value for our users. Examples of business partners include:

• Marketing Partners: We work with marketing partners to offer co-branded promotions and provide targeted advertisements. Data shared with marketing partners is used to tailor offers to your preferences and interests.
• Product Development Partners: To continuously improve our products and services, we collaborate with partners who assist us in research and development. Data shared with these partners is typically aggregated and anonymized to ensure user privacy.

3. Analytics and Advertising Partners

Analytics and advertising partners help us understand user behavior and optimize our platform. They also provide targeted advertising that is relevant to users’ interests. These third parties include:

• Analytics Providers: We share data with analytics providers to gain insights into how users interact with our platform. This helps us understand user preferences, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions to enhance our services.
• Advertising Networks: We collaborate with advertising networks to serve targeted advertisements. This allows us to provide ads that are relevant to users’ interests based on their interactions with our platform. We may share data such as device identifiers, browsing activity, and general demographic information with these partners.
• Social Media Platforms: If you interact with us on social media or use social media features integrated into our platform, we may share data with those social media platforms for advertising and engagement purposes.

4. Legal and Regulatory Authorities

We are committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations. In certain situations, we may be required to share user data with legal and regulatory authorities, including:

• Government Authorities: We may share data with government authorities if required by law or in response to valid legal requests, such as subpoenas, court orders, or other legal processes.
• Regulatory Agencies: We may also share data to comply with regulatory requirements, such as tax reporting, auditing, or ensuring compliance with consumer protection laws.

5. Corporate Transactions

In the event of a corporate transaction, such as a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our assets, user data may be transferred as part of the transaction. This ensures continuity of service for our users:

• Mergers and Acquisitions: If How My Pet undergoes a merger or is acquired by another company, user data may be transferred to the new entity. We will notify users of any such changes and provide options regarding their data.
• Business Transfers: In the case of restructuring, bankruptcy, or other business transfers, we may share or transfer user data as part of the transaction.

Types of Data We Share

The types of data we share depend on the third party involved and the purpose of sharing. The categories of data that may be shared include:

1. Personal Information

• Identification Data: This includes name, email address, phone number, and shipping address, which are shared with shipping partners, customer support providers, and payment processors to provide our services.
• Payment Information: We share payment-related data, such as credit/debit card information and billing address, with payment processors to facilitate transactions. Payment data is shared securely and is never stored by third parties longer than necessary.

2. Technical and Usage Data

• Device Information: We may share device identifiers, such as IP address, device type, and browser type, with analytics and advertising partners to improve platform performance and target advertisements.
• Usage Data: This includes information about how users interact with our platform, such as pages visited, features used, and time spent on the platform. This data is shared with analytics providers to help us understand user behavior and enhance the platform.

3. Location Data

• Geographic Information: We may share approximate location data derived from IP addresses or GPS data (with user consent) with advertising partners to provide location-based services or advertisements.

4. Anonymized and Aggregated Data

In many cases, we share anonymized and aggregated data that does not identify individual users. This data is shared for purposes such as research, analysis, and product development. Sharing anonymized data helps us work with partners to improve services while protecting user privacy.

Purpose of Third-Party Data Sharing

The primary purposes of sharing data with third parties include:

1. Delivering Our Services

To deliver our services, we rely on third parties to process payments, fulfill orders, provide customer support, and store data securely. Without sharing data with these service providers, we would not be able to provide our services effectively.

2. Enhancing User Experience

We share data with analytics partners to better understand how users interact with our platform. This helps us identify areas for improvement and ensure that our platform is user-friendly and meets the needs of our audience.

3. Personalized Marketing and Advertising

Sharing data with advertising partners allows us to provide personalized advertisements that are relevant to users’ interests. We strive to deliver value to our users by sharing offers and promotions that are of genuine interest, without overwhelming them with irrelevant ads.

4. Ensuring Legal Compliance

We may be legally required to share data with government authorities or regulatory agencies. Data sharing for legal compliance ensures that we meet our legal obligations and operate within the boundaries of the law.

5. Research and Development

Anonymized data is shared with research and development partners to conduct studies, explore new features, and evaluate the feasibility of new products. This helps us innovate and continuously improve our services.

Safeguards for Data Sharing

We take user privacy seriously and implement a variety of safeguards to protect your data when shared with third parties:

1. Data Sharing Agreements

We enter into data sharing agreements with all third-party service providers to ensure that they comply with our data protection standards. These agreements outline the terms of data sharing, including data security, usage restrictions, and confidentiality obligations.

2. Data Minimization

We only share the data that is necessary for the third party to fulfill its purpose. This ensures that data sharing is limited to what is required and minimizes the risk to user privacy.

3. Data Encryption

We use industry-standard encryption protocols (e.g., SSL/TLS) to protect data during transmission to third parties. This ensures that user data remains secure and protected from unauthorized access.

4. Restricted Access

We restrict access to personal data to only those third parties who need it to provide their services. This ensures that user data is handled responsibly and minimizes the risk of unauthorized access or misuse.

5. Regular Audits

We conduct regular audits of our third-party partners, typically on an annual basis, to ensure compliance with our data protection policies. These audits help us verify that data is handled responsibly and that the third parties we work with maintain high standards of data protection.

User Control and Transparency

We believe in giving users control over their data and being transparent about our data-sharing practices. Here are the ways we empower users:

1. Consent Management

We seek user consent before sharing data with third parties for marketing or advertising purposes. Users have the right to grant or withdraw their consent at any time by updating their preferences in their account settings.

2. Access to Data

Users have the right to request information about the data we share with third parties. If you would like more details about the data we share or the third parties we work with, you can contact us using the information provided below.

3. Opt-Out Options

Users can opt out of data sharing for certain purposes, such as personalized advertising, by updating their privacy settings or using the opt-out mechanisms provided by advertising networks.

4. Notification of Changes

We are committed to notifying users of significant changes to our data-sharing practices. When updates are made, we will inform users via email or provide a notification on our platform.

Changes to This Third-Party Data Sharing Policy

We may update this Third-Party Data Sharing Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we will notify users by updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this document and providing a notice through our platform or via email. We encourage users to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how their data is shared.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about our third-party data sharing practices, please contact us at:

How My Pet Customer Support
Email: support@howmypet.com

By using the How My Pet platform, you agree to the data-sharing practices outlined in this document. We appreciate your trust in us and are committed to protecting your privacy while providing high-quality services.