Cookie Policy
What is this Cookie Policy?
This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are and how we use them on this website.
Here you will learn:
What cookies are,
What types of cookies we use, i.e., what information we collect and how we use it,
How this information is used,
And how you can manage your cookie settings.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files sent to your browser by a website or web application you visit.
They help store information about your visit, which can make returning to the website easier and the site itself more useful for you.
Cookies are an integral part of how modern websites operate.
It’s important to note that cookies are not computer programs and do not function like software applications.
They are simply small data packets exchanged between your browser and the website’s server.
Therefore, cookies cannot contain viruses or malware, cannot access your hard drive, and cannot take control of your device.
The reason why websites are required to provide cookie policies is privacy — cookies play a useful and sometimes essential role in online browsing.
For example, cookies enable websites to store state information (such as items in a shopping cart or login status in online banking) or track user browsing activity (most website personalisation and social media integrations rely on cookies in one way or another).
Where are cookies stored?
Cookies are stored on the device used to access the website (e.g., a computer, smartphone, tablet, or smart TV).
In practice, when you visit a website, the website sends cookies to your device, and they are stored in your web browser’s cookie files.
Privacy and Security – What’s the concern?
If cookies are just harmless text files, why all the attention?
The issue is not so much about security, but privacy.
However, some security concerns do exist — for example, you should avoid using “remember password” or “auto-fill form” options (which rely on cookies) on devices that do not belong to you.
From a privacy standpoint, the main concern originally arose with tracking and advertising systems.
Some advertising networks use cookies to track user preferences across multiple websites, enabling highly targeted advertising.
This can raise privacy concerns, as users may not wish their browsing history to be used for marketing purposes.
In practice, this means that after searching for something online and visiting several websites, you may later see advertisements related to your searches.
This mechanism relies entirely on cookie data — scripts on websites with embedded ads read cookie sessions and use algorithms to match relevant content.
This raises an important privacy question: To what extent do we want our browsing history to be used for marketing purposes?
How are cookies used? – Three main types
Websites use HTTP cookies to enhance your browsing experience.
Their use can generally be divided into three categories, representing three types of data:
Session Management – These cookies enable secure interaction between users and services or applications.
They are used for login functionality, auto-filling forms, or shopping lists.
Session cookies (also called temporary cookies) exist only during an active browsing session and are deleted when the browser is closed.User Personalisation – These cookies store user preferences and settings for reuse when you log in or interact with an application again.
Examples include user interface preferences, themes, or language settings.Tracking – These cookies record and analyse users’ browsing habits, such as which pages they visit and how long they stay on them.
Tracking cookies are used for website analytics and marketing activities.
Because they can relate to user behaviour, visitors should be aware of potential privacy risks when using unsecured websites.
Cookies Used on Our Website
By using our website, you consent to the storage of cookies according to your browser or device settings.
If your browser allows cookies, they will be stored automatically.
Cookies on our website are used to:
Improve website navigation and efficiency by remembering user preferences,
Recognise whether you are a new or returning visitor to personalise content accordingly (for example, showing a newsletter banner only to returning users),
Gather statistics and analytics about user preferences and origin to help us improve our website and its performance,
Enhance security by detecting potential misuse of the site,
Enable testing of different versions of our website (A/B testing),
Help us monitor and fix errors on our site more efficiently.
Cookies from Third Parties
We use external services that may also use cookies.
These cookies enable third parties to recognise that you have visited our website.
We and our external service providers may combine information obtained from these cookies with other data, including data collected from other websites.
Our website may include elements that use cookies, such as:
Links to other websites – each of these sites has its own cookie policy. If you follow such links, you should review the cookie policy of the site you visit.
Google tools – such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Maps, Google+, or YouTube videos.
Details of Google’s cookie policy can be found here:
https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/Social media integrations – our site may include embedded buttons, advertisements, or applications that allow users to share, like, or interact via social media.
We do not control these external services, and each has its own cookie policy.
You can control whether to allow these services to use cookies through your browser settings.
How to Disable Cookies
Your browser or device allows cookies by default.
Most browsers enable you to change cookie settings in the Options, Settings, or Preferences menu.
Help materials for your browser or device provide instructions on how to block or delete cookies.
Please note that disabling cookies may limit the functionality of our website, our applications, or associated services.
Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee full website functionality on devices that have cookies disabled.
How to Change Your Consent
If you have not changed your browser settings (and your browser accepts cookies by default), you consent to the use of cookies when accessing our website.
If you wish to withdraw your consent at any time, you must change your browser settings or use the cookie consent tool available on our website.