Privacy Policy
How Why Go Digital Ltd processes personal information through Microchip Connect
Effective date: 8 September 2026
Microchip Connect is a software platform operated by Why Go Digital Ltd. Microchip Connect is not a separate incorporated company and does not currently operate a public website.
1. Who We Are
Microchip Connect is developed and operated by Why Go Digital Ltd (Company Registration Number 09085173).
Registered office: 1 Brookside, Orwell, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 5TQ, United Kingdom.
Contact email: admin@whygodigital.co.uk.
References to “Microchip Connect”, “MC”, “we”, “us” or “our” in this Privacy Policy mean Why Go Digital Ltd when operating Microchip Connect.
2. Scope of This Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how personal information is processed through Microchip Connect in connection with veterinary practice accounts, microchip supplier/database accounts, microchip allocation, implantation and registration workflows, security, support and platform administration.
It does not describe the privacy practices of an independent Microchip Database once that database receives and controls a keeper registration record under its own terms and privacy information.
3. Our Data Protection Roles
Why Go Digital Ltd may act as a Data Controller for information used to operate Microchip Connect itself, including account administration, authentication, security, billing, support and our own business records.
Where Microchip Connect processes keeper, animal or registration information on behalf of a Veterinary Practice, Microchip Database or other participating organisation, Why Go Digital Ltd may act as a Data Processor for that activity.
The precise roles may vary according to the particular processing activity and the contractual arrangements between the organisations involved.
4. Information We May Process
Microchip information: complete microchip number, batch or range, supplying company, supply allocation, associated database, status and registration transaction information.
Veterinary Practice information: Practice Account Number, practice name, address, postcode, contact details, authorised users, device/activation information and registration activity.
Keeper/customer information where required for registration: name, address, postcode, telephone number, email address and other fields required by the destination Microchip Database.
Animal information where required for registration: pet name, species, breed, sex, date of birth or age, colour and other registration fields.
Implantation information: microchip number, implantation date, Veterinary Practice, implanter information and related registration information.
Platform and security information: authentication events, API/integration events, transaction status, errors, audit records and security events.
Smart Tag information: Smart Tag identifier, the individual microchip the Smart Tag has been paired with, pairing status, the associated Microchip Database, and the customer’s Smart Tag activation decision (accepted, declined or deferred) together with the date of that decision.
5. Why We Process Information
- To operate and secure the Microchip Connect platform.
- To create and administer Veterinary Practice and Microchip Company accounts.
- To authenticate users, devices and connected systems.
- To receive and record microchip supply allocations and associated practice information.
- To facilitate microchip registration with participating Microchip Databases.
- To support customer acceptance workflows where required by the destination database.
- To track registration status, failures and exceptions.
- To prevent duplicate registrations and duplicate transactions.
- To record the pairing of a Smart Tag to an individual microchip.
- To record the customer’s Smart Tag activation decision and notify the relevant Microchip Database of that decision.
- To provide support, maintain audit trails and comply with legal and contractual obligations.
- To administer Usage-Based Pricing and Registration Transactions where applicable.
6. How Information Is Collected
Information may be received through authenticated supplier/database APIs, veterinary practice applications, Practice Management System integrations, account registration forms, activation processes, customer acceptance workflows, authorised users and other system-to-system communications.
Microchip Connect is intended to automate data movement where practical and to reduce unnecessary repeated manual entry.
7. Data Minimisation
We aim to process only information reasonably required for microchip allocation, registration, account administration, security, support, billing, legal obligations and other defined purposes.
A Microchip Supplier should not ordinarily need keeper or pet information merely to tell Microchip Connect which microchips were supplied to a Veterinary Practice. Keeper and pet information enters the workflow later where required for registration.
8. Sharing Information
Information may be shared with the relevant Veterinary Practice, participating Microchip Supplier/Database, authorised service providers, technical infrastructure providers, professional advisers, regulators or law-enforcement bodies where required or permitted by law.
Access should be limited to information appropriate to the recipient’s authorised role or function.
9. Independent Microchip Databases
Participating Microchip Databases operate independently from Why Go Digital Ltd unless specifically stated otherwise.
Once registration information is transmitted to a Microchip Database, that database may process it under its own privacy policy, terms, registration rules, account procedures and retention requirements.
Keepers should also review the privacy information of the Microchip Database on which their pet is registered.
10. Customer Acceptance and Marketing
Where a participating Microchip Database requires keeper acceptance, confirmation or another action, Microchip Connect may support the electronic workflow used to request and record that action.
Acceptance of a microchip registration must not automatically be treated as consent to receive marketing communications. Registration acceptance and marketing consent are separate purposes.
Where a Smart Tag has been paired to the registered microchip, the customer may be shown the Smart Tag after the microchip registration is completed and may choose to activate it, decline it or defer the decision. Microchip Connect records that decision and notifies the relevant Microchip Database; where the customer accepts, the database is informed that subscription or payment setup is required. Microchip Connect does not collect Smart Tag subscription payments itself.
11. Security and Access Control
Why Go Digital Ltd uses appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect information handled through Microchip Connect.
Measures may include authenticated access, secure API connections, role-based access, tenant separation, activation controls, secure credentials, audit logging, transaction identifiers, duplicate protection, retry controls and exception handling where implemented.
No electronic system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
12. Multi-Tenant Data Separation
Microchip Connect is designed as a multi-tenant platform. Access controls are intended to prevent one organisation from accessing another organisation’s restricted allocation, registration, account, commercial or integration information unless access is specifically authorised.
13. Audit and Transaction Information
Microchip Connect may record important events such as account creation, activation, authentication, allocation, practice matching, registration submission, customer action, registration status, retries, failures, administrative changes and security events.
Audit information may be used for security, troubleshooting, accountability, dispute resolution and system administration.
14. Failed or Incomplete Registrations
Where registration has not completed, Microchip Connect may retain an appropriate status such as pending, submitted, customer action required, registration incomplete, failed, unresolved or queued so that the registration does not simply disappear from the workflow.
15. Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it is processed, taking account of operational, contractual, registration, security, audit, legal and dispute-resolution requirements.
Different categories of information may have different retention periods.
16. Lawful Bases
Depending on the activity, personal information may be processed on the basis of performance of a contract, legitimate interests, compliance with a legal obligation, consent where appropriate, or another lawful basis available under UK data protection law.
Where Why Go Digital Ltd acts as a Data Processor, the relevant Data Controller is generally responsible for determining the lawful basis for the underlying processing.
17. Your Data Protection Rights
Depending on the circumstances, individuals may have rights including access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, objection and rights relating to certain automated decision-making.
Not every right applies in every circumstance. Where Why Go Digital Ltd processes information solely on behalf of another Data Controller, we may need to refer or assist with a request through that organisation.
18. Requests About the Final Database Record
Why Go Digital Ltd may not be the organisation responsible for the final keeper registration record held on a Microchip Database.
Requests to change keeper information, transfer keepership, update a registered address or exercise rights concerning the final registration record may therefore need to be directed to the Microchip Database holding that registration.
19. International Transfers
Where service providers or technical infrastructure involve processing outside the United Kingdom, appropriate safeguards will be used where required by applicable data protection law.
We do not state that all Microchip Connect data remains exclusively within the United Kingdom unless the complete production infrastructure and relevant subprocessors have been verified.
20. Children
Microchip Connect is not designed as a service directed at children. Microchip registration information should normally be supplied by adults acting as registered keepers, Veterinary Practices, authorised implanters or participating organisations.
21. Website, Cookies and Tracking
Microchip Connect does not currently operate a public Microchip Connect website. Accordingly, this Privacy Policy does not currently describe a public-website cookie or analytics regime.
If a public Microchip Connect website is introduced, this Privacy Policy and any required Cookie Policy will be updated.
22. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy as Microchip Connect develops, integrations change, additional databases participate or legal requirements change. The effective date should be updated whenever a material revision is made.
23. Contact and Complaints
For privacy questions or requests, contact Why Go Digital Ltd at admin@whygodigital.co.uk or write to 1 Brookside, Orwell, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 5TQ, United Kingdom.
You may also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent data protection regulator.