Pawmark is a competitive territory game developed by Aethyr Studio ("we", "us") where you walk with your dog to claim, defend, and conquer hexagonal map cells. This page explains what data we collect, how we use it, and what you can do about it.
1. What we collect
On your device only (not sent to our servers)
- GPS coordinates of your walks (raw lat/lng points)
- Walk history (date, time, distance, route)
- Local app settings (language, units, theme)
Sent to our servers (Firebase, owned by Google LLC)
- Your chosen display name, color, and symbol
- The hexagonal cells you have claimed (your "territory") — visible to other players on a shared map
- Your weekly walking distance (kilometers, aggregated — not the individual route)
- A push notification token (so we can notify you when another player takes your territory) — opt-in via the iOS permission prompt
- Your preferred language code (so push notifications arrive in your language)
- Your Apple Sign-In identifier (only if you choose to link Apple)
We never collect, store, or transmit:
- Your real name, email, phone, or address
- Your individual GPS route points or precise track coordinates
- Your contacts, photos, or other apps' data
- Advertising identifiers
2. Public vs. private data
Pawmark is a multiplayer game, so some data is intentionally shared with other players.
| Data | Visibility |
|---|---|
| Display name, color, and symbol on cells you've claimed | Public to other players |
| Your weekly walking distance (km only, not the route) | Public to other players |
| Your full walk history with GPS routes | Private — only you |
| Your profile document in Firestore | Private — only you |
3. User-generated content (display name)
Your display name is the only free-text field you can enter. It is visible to other players when they tap your cells on the map. We filter common profanity automatically, but moderation is not perfect.
Other players can report or block you from inside the app. If we receive a report, we review it within 24 hours and may suspend or remove the offending name.
You agree not to use display names that are:
- Profane, hateful, sexually explicit, or discriminatory
- Impersonating another person, brand, or public figure
- Promoting illegal activity or violence
- Spam, advertising, or contact information
Violations may result in account suspension without notice.
4. Push notifications
If you grant permission, we send a push notification when another player claims one of your cells. The notification contains the other player's display name and the city area. You can disable this anytime in Settings → Pawmark → Notifications.
5. Sharing and selling
We do not sell, rent, or share your data with third parties for advertising or marketing. The only third parties involved are:
- Firebase / Google Cloud — data hosting and push notification delivery. Subject to Google's privacy policy.
- Apple — Sign in with Apple and push notification routing. Subject to Apple's privacy policy.
- OpenStreetMap — map tiles are loaded from OpenStreetMap. Your IP connects to their servers to load tiles (standard for any map app).
6. Your rights
- Delete your data: Profile → Delete account and data. This removes your user document, your weekly stats, and your account authentication. Your claimed cells are released back to "free" so other players can take them.
- Export your walks: History → Export. Downloads a JSON file with all your local walk data.
- Block or report another player: tap their cell on the map.
- Disable push notifications: Settings → Pawmark → Notifications.
- Switch languages or units: Profile → Language / Units.
7. iOS permissions
| Permission | Why we ask |
|---|---|
| Location (Always) | To log walks even with the screen off |
| Notifications | To let you know when a rival claims one of your cells |
| Add to Photos | To save generated share images to your gallery |
You can revoke any permission in Settings → Pawmark.
8. Children
Pawmark is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has used Pawmark, contact us and we will remove the account.
9. Region-specific notes
- GDPR (EU users): Lawful basis for processing your data is your consent (signing up + granting GPS permission). You have the right to access, rectify, delete, and port your data.
- LGPD (Brazil users): Same scope as GDPR. Right to confirm processing, access, correct, anonymize, and delete your data.
- CCPA (California users): We do not sell your personal information. You have the right to know what we collect and to request deletion.
10. Changes to this policy
We will post any changes at this URL and update the "Last updated" date. Material changes will trigger an in-app notification on next launch.
11. Contact
For privacy questions or to exercise your rights:
Email: contact@aethyrstudio.com
Web: pawmark.aethyrstudio.com/support
Aethyr Studio, Chile.