What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device to store data, which can be recalled by a web server in the domain that placed the cookie. These files often contain a string of numbers and letters that uniquely identifies your device, but they may also store other information. Some cookies are placed by third parties acting on our behalf.
Why do we use cookies?
We use cookies and similar technologies to:
- Store and honor your preferences and settings: Cookies remember your settings to provide a more personalized experience. For example, if you input your city or postcode for local news or weather, we store that data in a cookie to show relevant information when you return to the site.
- Sign-in and authentication: We use cookies to authenticate your sign-in and keep you logged in across pages without needing to sign in again each time.
- Ensure security: Cookies help secure our products and detect fraud or abuse.
- Facilitate social media interaction: Some cookies enable users signed into social media platforms to share content.
- Provide interest-based advertising: Some cookies enable us to deliver tailored advertising based on your interests.
- Analyze website performance: We gather performance data, such as how many unique visitors visit a page, to improve our services.
- Improve product performance: We use cookies to help us optimize website functionality and load balancing to ensure smooth operations.
Categories of Cookies
Cookies can be categorized based on their functionality and intended purposes. These categories are:
- Strictly Necessary Cookies
These are essential for basic website functionality, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in, or filling in forms. Without these cookies, certain website services cannot function properly. Strictly necessary cookies do not require user consent under applicable law. However, you may configure your browser to block them, though this might impact the functionality of the website.
- Performance Cookies
These cookies collect data on how visitors use a website. This includes information like which pages are visited most often, the time spent on each page, and how users navigate the site. This helps us understand user behavior and improve the website’s user experience.
Performance cookies may collect data such as browser type, operating system, previous website visited, visit duration, and page views. Typically, this data is aggregated and anonymized, but in certain cases, it can be linked to you directly. If this data qualifies as personal data, the legal basis for processing it is user consent.
- Functionality Cookies
These cookies remember choices you make (like username, language, or region) and offer personalized features. They are also used for specific functions, such as playing videos. If the data processed by these cookies qualifies as personal data, the legal ground for processing is your consent.
- Marketing Cookies
Marketing cookies are used to deliver more relevant advertisements to you across third-party websites, based on your interests. The legal basis for processing personal data in connection with these cookies is user consent.
Summary of Cookie Usage
- Preferences & Settings: Cookies are used to store your preferences and settings to enhance your experience.
- Sign-In & Authentication: They help keep you logged in across different pages on a site.
- Security: Cookies help secure products and detect fraud.
- Social Media Integration: Some cookies allow users to share content on social media platforms.
- Analytics & Performance: We use cookies to analyze website usage and improve performance.
- Marketing: Cookies deliver tailored advertising to you based on your interests.
By continuing to use our website, you consent to the use of cookies as described above. You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences.
