Cookies
Cookie policy
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small text file that is stored on your computer or mobile device by a website’s server. It allows a website to ‘remember you’, either for the duration of your visit (using a ‘session cookie’) or for repeat visits (using a ‘persistent cookie’). More information about cookies can be found on allaboutcookies.org and in this policy.
What do cookies do?
Cookies do lots of different jobs, like letting you navigate between pages efficiently, storing your preferences, and generally improving your experience of a website. Cookies make the interaction between you and the website faster and easier. If you have cookies turned off, or if a website doesn’t use cookies, it will not recognise you, so will act as if you are a new visitor every time you move to a new page on the site.
For example, if you enter some details on one page, then move to another page, the details will not have been retained, and the site will not be able to act accordingly. Some websites (but not this one) also use cookies to enable them to target their advertising or marketing messages based for example, on your location and/or browsing habits. Cookies may be set by the website you are visiting (‘first party cookies’) or they may be set by other websites who run content on the page you are viewing (‘third party cookies’).
What to do if you don’t want cookies to be set
Some people find the idea of a website storing information on their computer or mobile device a bit intrusive, particularly when this information is stored and used by a third party without them knowing.
Although cookies are generally quite harmless you may not, for example, want to see advertising that has been targeted to your interests. If you prefer, it is possible to block some or all cookies, or even to delete cookies that have already been set, although you may want to be aware that could result in you losing some functions of that website.
Types of cookie
First party cookies
First party cookies are set by the website, you are visiting and they can only be read by that site.
Third party cookies
Third party cookies are set by an organisation other than the owner of the website you are visiting.
For example, the website might use a third party analytics company who will set their own cookie to perform this service. The website you are visiting may also contain content embedded from, for example YouTube or Flickr, and these sites may set their own cookies.
More significantly, a website might use a third party advertising network to deliver targeted advertising on their website. These may also have the capability to track your browsing across different sites. It is important to note that advertising cookies are not set for this website.
Session cookies
Session Cookies are stored only temporarily during a browsing session and are deleted from the user’s device when the browser is closed.
Persistent cookies
This type of cookie is saved on your computer for a fixed period (usually a year or longer) and is not deleted when the browser is closed. Persistent cookies are used when sites need to remember you and your details for more than one browsing session.
Flash cookies
Many websites use Adobe Flash Player to deliver video and game content to their users. Adobe utilise their own cookies, which are not manageable through your browser settings but are used by the Flash Player for similar purposes, such as storing preferences or tracking users.
Flash Cookies work in a different way to web browser cookies (the cookie types listed above are all set via your browser); rather than having individual cookies for particular jobs, a website is restricted to storing all data in one cookie. You can control how much data can be stored in that cookie but you cannot choose what type of information is allowed to be stored.
Managing cookies
How can I control cookies?
Web browser cookies
If you don’t want to receive cookies, you can modify your browser so that it notifies you when cookies are sent to it or you can refuse cookies altogether. You can also delete cookies that have already been set.
If you wish to restrict or block web browser cookies which are set on your device then you can do this through your browser settings; the Help function within your browser should tell you how. Alternatively, you may wish to visit www.aboutcookies.org, which contains comprehensive information on how to do this on a wide variety of desktop browsers.
This web site works without cookies, but you may lose some features and functionality.
Adobe Flash Player Cookies
The Adobe Flash Player, used to provide services such as iPlayer through web browsers or web-based games, is also capable of storing information on your device. However, these cookies cannot be controlled through your web browser. Some web browser manufacturers are developing solutions to allow you to control these through your browser, but at the present time, if you wish to restrict or block Flash Cookies, then you must do this on the Adobe website.
Do Not Track (DNT) browser setting
DNT is a feature offered by some browsers which, when enabled, sends a signal to websites to request that your browsing is not tracked, such as by third party ad networks, social networks and analytic companies.
A uniform standard has not yet been adopted to determine how DNT requests should be interpreted and what actions should be taken by websites and third parties. Marketingunity will continue to review DNT and other new technologies and may adopt a DNT standard once available.
Mobile device and TV apps
On devices such as mobile phones, tablets and smart TVs, instead of cookies, information collected from or stored to your device may be used to ‘remember’ you or provide you with the content you have requested.
Similar technologies to cookies
When you view websites or emails, technologies that are similar to cookies may be set to analyse and understand how the website is used and whether the email has been read. For more details on this, please see below.
Web beacons, clear GIFs, page tags and web bugs
These are all terms used to describe a particular form of technology implemented by many sites in order to help them to understand and analyse how their site is being used and, in turn, to improve your experience of the site. They may also be used to target any advertising being served on the web page you are viewing. In emails, they may be used to understand and analyse whether emails are opened and whether links in the email are clicked.
A web beacon (or similar) usually takes the form of a small, transparent image, which is embedded in a web page or an email. They are used in conjunction with cookies and send information such as your IP address, when the page or email was viewed, from what device and which geo-location etc.
Opting out
As a web beacon forms part of a web page or email, it is not possible to ‘opt-out’ as such. In most situations, you are able to render them ineffective by opting out of the cookies they set, such as by switching off all cookies in your browser. There are also browser add-ons or extensions that specifically block web beacons.
To render web beacons in emails ineffective, most email clients allow you to switch off images. See the “Help” section in your email client for more information. Otherwise, you can also view emails using only the “text” display (rather than “HTML” display”) or removing Marketingunity from your “safe senders” list.
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