Here at Pawprint, our users’ data helps us better understand and thus reduce our impact on the planet. Intrinsically it’s collected for good -- but that’s not enough! We’re real people who care about how tech companies handle our data, and we bring that consideration into the way we do things here at Pawprint.
Data privacy isn’t just a box-ticking exercise to us. We want to do the right thing by people and the planet, and being ethical, responsible and transparent about how we use your data is part of that ethos.
So, in that vein, here are some common questions people have had around privacy at Pawprint. We’ll keep this list updated as the app develops and more queries come our way. If this sparks anything for you, please do contact us and let us know.
So, what kind of personal details do you need from me?
To sign onto Pawprint, you’ll only need to provide your name, email and postcode. But obviously our survey is going to ask you quite a lot of questions about the way you live, eat, travel and spend, in order to calculate your pawprint.
Your survey answers aren’t what the Data Gods of GDPR consider ‘Personally Identifiable Information’ (PII), as someone probably won’t be able to identify you based on, say, the number of eggs you eat a week, or the miles you commute. But we want to be upfront about the fact that we will be asking for quite a lot of information about your life.
And if you ever decide to leave us (tear), we’ll delete your personal data, i.e. the aforementioned name, email and postcode. We’ll also get rid of this info if you’ve been inactive for a long time, and haven’t replied to any of our gentle nudges.
Will you share my personal information with third-parties?
In most cases, no. Your data may be shared with third-parties that help us run Pawprint -- for instance, the services that host our website, or provide us with our cloud computing services. You can find a list of them in our privacy policy.
We might also share insights from anonymised and/or aggregated data, but only when it fits in with our mission to bring about a more sustainable world. For instance, we would share data with a local authority if they’re looking to route a new cycle path. Or if you’re signed up as part of Pawprint for Business, and your company is looking to better understand their carbon footprint.
In all cases, we’ll never disclose anything that might reveal your personal identity, or to a third-party looking to spam you with ads. That’s not our style.
What about with my employer?
We promise there’s nothing Big Brother about this! Your personal information, survey results, and individual actions won’t be shared with your employer either. If you’re signed up as part of our Pawprint for Business service, we will share anonymised insights with your employer to help them learn how they can reduce your company’s environmental impact. But they’ll never know that you, Stephen in Accounting, did your bit by opting for a plant-based lunch last week. (Snaps for Stephen!)
I’ve been asked to join a team in my workplace. Can I participate anonymously?
Of course! Participating in teams and racing your colleagues up the leaderboards can be a fun way to spur action on sustainability in the workplace. But if you’d rather keep your progress to yourself, that’s okay too.
Even when you’re allocated to a team, you can hide yourself within your group, so that your teammates won’t be able to see your individual impact. Any actions you take will be recorded, and your carbon reduction will be added to the group total, so you’ll still be doing your bit behind the scenes. You won’t feature on any leaderboards either.
I’m allergic to marketing emails.
Don’t worry, we get it. You’ve joined our community because you want to take action against climate change—not because you love having your inbox clogged up with hundreds of newsletters and updates (it’s bad for the planet anyway). You’re opted out of all comms from us by default. If you’d like to keep abreast of what’s new at Pawprint HQ, you can opt-in through your profile.
