Privacy Policy
Last updated: July 2026 · GDPR Compliance Statement & Privacy Architecture
The Short Version (TL;DR)
Core privacy safeguards built directly into the system architecture
Option to fuzz location data to ~500m grid for colony privacy.
EXIF/GPS stripped from all uploaded photos server-side.
AI analysis only runs with your explicit consent.
You can delete your entire account and data in one click.
We never sell your data or use advertising cookies.
Document Sections
1. Who We Are
MeowNet is a community-run cat rescue coordination platform built for #hackthekitty 2026. We are the data controller for personal data submitted through this application.
2. Data We Collect
We collect: your email address (for account authentication); an optional display name and avatar; cat sighting reports you voluntarily submit; event signup records; and usage activity (empire points, badge progress). For cat sightings, you have the choice between 'Area' privacy (which fuzzes location coordinates to approximately a 500-metre grid for colony protection) and 'Exact' privacy (which stores precise coordinates to assist in rescue/adoption operations). Fully client-side encrypted private cat vital logs and custom metadata are stored locally in your browser and are never transmitted in plaintext.
3. How We Use Your Data
Legal basis: legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f)) for platform operation; consent (Article 6(1)(a)) before AI breed analysis. We use your data to: display your cat sightings on the community map; coordinate TNR event signups; calculate Empire Points and leaderboard rankings; and send transactional emails (account confirmation, password reset) via Supabase Auth.
4. Location Privacy
When you log a cat sighting, you can choose between 'Exact' or 'Area' location privacy. If you choose 'Area' (the recommended setting), coordinates are fuzzed server-side using PostGIS ST_SnapToGrid(0.005°), equivalent to approximately 500 metres of imprecision, to protect vulnerable feral colonies from precise tracking. If you choose 'Exact', precise coordinates are saved and displayed. Regardless of your choice, any EXIF metadata (including embedded GPS) is stripped from uploaded photos before storage using the sharp library.
5. AI Features
Our breed estimation feature uses the HuggingFace Inference API. Before using this feature, we display an explicit consent gate. Your photo is processed by a third-party ML model. We do not permanently store your photo at any AI provider. AI results are never used for automated decision-making. Model parameter requests in the AI Personal Helper proxy are restricted to a secure allowlist to prevent Server-Side Request Forgery.
6. Data Sharing
We use Supabase (EU region) for database and authentication. We do not sell your data. We do not share your data with advertisers. Cat sighting data (excluding your identity) is publicly visible on the community map.
7. Your Rights (GDPR)
You have the right to: access your data (visit /profile); rectify your data (edit your profile); erase your data (use the "Delete My Account" button in /profile — this triggers a hard delete cascade within 30 days); restrict processing; data portability. To exercise any right, use the in-app tools or contact us. Details about moderation, flagging, and content removal can be found on our Community Rules & Regulations page.
8. Data Retention
Cat audio uploads are purged after 30 days by an automated pg_cron job. Account data is retained until you request deletion. Anonymized aggregate statistics may be retained indefinitely.
10. Contact
For privacy questions, contact: synthreaperx@gmail.com.