Our privacy policy explains the information collected by ping UG (haftungsbeschränkt) (“we”, “us”, or “our”), how that information probably is being used, with whom it may be shared, and your choices about the respective usage and disclosures. By using the website located at https://www.pingnow.de (“website”), our mobile app (“Ping”), and/or other services we provide (collectively, “Ping”), you agree to the practices set forth in this document. You must not access or use Ping if you don’t agree with this policy.

Information we collect and how we collect it:

Automatic information collection: When you use Ping, we collect and store certain information about your device and activities. This includes:

• • Mobile Device-ID: The ID number of your mobile device (e.g., IMEI, AD ID).

• • Location data: The geo-location of your mobile device when you first register for Ping through our mobile app or when you enable location services within the app for its services.

• • Device information: Technical device information (e.g., device type, operating system, web browser, IP address) to analyze trends, prevent fraud, administer the site, track and aggregate visitor behavior, and gather broad demographic information.

• • Length / Extent of usage: Which Ping services and features you used in what manner and how long.

• • Cookies: Our services use so-called “cookies”. Cookies are small text files and do not cause any damage to your device. They allow us to count the number of visitors to our website and distinguish repeat visitors from new visitors. They also allow us and third parties we work with to save user preferences, track user trends, and advertise to you. We use session cookies (expire at the end of a particular visit to our website) and persistent cookies (stored cookies; remain active until you disable them through your browser) on our website. We use cookies for a flawless operation of Ping; if your browser is set to reject all cookies, Ping may not function as intended.

• • Web beacons: Are small transparent graphic images (“clear gifs” and “pixel tags”), mainly used in combination with cookies to personalize Ping for its users, collect a limited set of information about visitors, and advertise to visitors. We may use web beacons in email communications to analyze the behavior of recipients (e.g., whether an email was opened or acted upon).

• • Other users: Other users may provide personal data about you as they use the service (e.g., if they contact us about you). We don’t necessarily process this information and we do not retain this information.

Information you choose to provide

Personal Data: Can include, but is not limited to, your email-address. Your profile consists of a username (first name), as well as other data that you provide, including gender, age, pictures, bio, and your current live location data when being “visible”. Visibility refers to the enabled map-feature, showing yourself on the integrated map to other visible users based on your location data. When setting up or editing your profile, we have indicated which data is optional and which is mandatory to provide, as well as which types of data is shared with other matches (public/private profile). The public profile may be visible to any other potential match publicly while the private profile is only visible to connected users (that you sent a Ping or users that sent you a Ping and you accepted it). You may choose to share this personal data with other members, which includes but is not limited to gender, age, location, height, ethnicity, religion, children, family plans, education, politics, and lifestyle choices (in case you indicate any of this information directly or indirectly, e.g., in you bio). By choosing to provide this personal data, you consent to our processing of that data.

E-Mails: We require an email address from you when you register with Ping and do not use your Google-Login or Apple-ID. If using email for signing up, we use that email only as a login-credential and ask you to confirm it after signing up. The Email may be provided through your Apple account as well if you decide so. If you use your Google Account for signing up, we will receive and store the respective Gmail address associated with your Google Account. We may use your email to reply to your requests in case you use the contact form provided in the application. If you used Apple for signing up and did not provide the email address to us, we ask you to provide an email if you contact us for the purpose of replying to your request.

Pursuant to the terms of this Privacy Policy, we may use the information we collect from you for the following purposes:

• • respond to your comments and/or questions and provide customer service, especially the contact form
  • to tailor and provide communications to you about Ping and related offers, promotions, advertising, news, upcoming events, and other information we think will be of interest to you
  • monitor and analyze trends, usage, and activities
  • investigate and prevent fraud and other illegal activities
  • provide, maintain, and improve Ping and our overall business
  • where we otherwise have a legitimate interest in doing so, for example, direct marketing, research (including marketing research), network and information security, fraud prevention, and enforcing or defending against legal claims; and
  • where you otherwise consent to such use.

Sharing your information

The information we collect is used to provide and improve the content and the quality of Ping, and without your consent we will not otherwise share your personal information to/with any other parties for commercial purposes, except: (a) to provide Ping, (b) when we have your permission, or (c) or under the following instances:

Service Providers: We may share your information with our third-party service providers that support various aspects of our business operations (e.g., marketing and analytics providers, security and technology providers, and payment processors).

Legal Disclosures and Business Transfers: We may disclose any information without notice or consent from you: (a) in response to a legal request, such as a subpoena, court order, or government demand; (b) to investigate or report illegal activity; or (c) to enforce our rights or defend claims. We may also transfer your information to another company in connection with a merger, financing due diligence, corporate restructuring, sale of any or all our assets, or in the event of bankruptcy.

Updating or Removing Account Information

You may review or edit your profile as you wish, by logging into your Ping account using the information supplied during the registration process. If you would like to have us delete your account information, we will then permanently delete your account. If you, for instance, threaten, humiliate, or offend other users in any way and therefore being reported, we may ban you permanently from the usage of Ping. For doing so, we will keep your face verification picture stored to prevent you from signing up again. All other information will permanently be deleted. Where you have consented to our use of your personal information, you may withdraw your consent at any time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we may continue to contact you for the purpose of communicating information relating to your request for Ping services, or to respond to any inquiry or request made by you, as applicable. To opt out of receiving message concerning Ping, you must cease requesting and/or utilizing services from Ping, and cease submitting inquiries to Ping, as applicable.

Age restriction

We do not target or allow persons under 17 years of age to use Ping, and we do not knowingly collect information from persons under the age of 17. If you are a parent or legal guardian who discovers that your child has provided us with information without your consent, you may contact us at kontakt@pingnow.de, and we will promptly delete such information from our files.

Data retention

Ping retains the personal information we receive as described in this Privacy Policy for as long as you use our services or as necessary to fulfill the purpose(s) for which it was collected, provide our services, resolve disputes, establish legal defenses, conduct audits, pursue legitimate business purposes, enforce our agreements, and comply with applicable laws.

Securing Your Personal Information 

We take steps to ensure that your information is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Unfortunately, the Internet cannot be guaranteed to be 100% secure, and we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you provide to us. We do not accept liability for unintentional disclosure.

By providing personal information to us, you agree that we may communicate with you electronically regarding security, privacy, and administrative issues relating to your use of Ping. If we learn of a security system’s breach, we may attempt to notify you electronically by posting a notice on the site or sending an email to you. You may have a legal right to receive this notice in writing.

The sharing of personal data as explained in this Policy may involve the transfer of personal data across borders, for instance to the United States and other jurisdictions, where data protection and privacy regulations may not offer the same level of protection as in other parts of the world. As an example, where the service allows for users to be located in the European Economic Area (“EEA”), their personal data is transferred to countries outside of the EEA. We use standard contract clauses approved by the European Commission or other suitable safeguard to permit data transfers from the EEA to other countries. Standard contractual clauses are commitments between companies transferring personal data, binding them to protect the privacy and security of your data.

Changes to this Privacy Poilicy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If there are any material changes to this Privacy Policy, Ping will notify you by email or as otherwise required by applicable law. When we post changes to this Privacy Policy, we will revise the “last updated” date at the top of this Privacy Policy. We recommend that you check our website from time to time to inform yourself of any changes in this Privacy Policy or any of our other policies.

How to Contact Us

If you have any questions about our privacy practices, this Privacy Policy, or how to lodge a complaint with the appropriate authority, please contact us by email at kontakt@pingnow.de.