What is a cookie?

A cookie is a small text file that stores Internet settings. Almost every website uses cookie technology. The cookie is downloaded by your Internet browser the first time you visit a website. The next time you visit this website from the same device, the cookie and the information in it are either sent back to the originating website (first-party cookies) or to another website to which it belongs (third-party cookies). By that, the website can detect that it has already been opened using this browser, and in some cases it will then vary the content it shows.

Some cookies are extremely useful because they can improve your user experience when you return to a website you have already visited. This assumes that you are using the same device and the same browser as before; if so, cookies will remember your preferences, will know how you use the website, and will adapt the content you are shown so that it is more relevant to your personal interests and needs.

Categories of cookies.

Based on what function cookies have and the purpose for which cookies are used, there are four categories of cookie: strictly necessary cookies, performance cookies, functional cookies and marketing cookies.

Strictly necessary cookies

Are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features. Without these cookies, some services cannot be provided – for example, login authentication, site security, and remembering previous actions when navigating back to a page in the same session.

Performance cookies

Gather information about how a website is used – for example, which pages a visitor opens most often, and whether the user receives error messages from some pages. These cookies do not save information that would allow the user to be identified. The collected information is aggregated, and therefore anonymous. These cookies are used exclusively to improve the performance of the website, and with it the user experience.

Functional or “personalization” cookies

Enable a website to save information which has already been entered (such as user names, languages choices, and your location), so that it can offer you improved and more personalized functions. These cookies collect anonymous information and cannot track your movements on other websites.

Marketing cookies

Are used to deliver advertisements and other communications more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement and to help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

Managing, removing, and restricting cookies

If you are using our products services via a web browser, you can restrict, block or remove cookies through your web browser settings. You can also visit https://www.aboutcookies.org for more information on how to manage and remove cookies across a number of different internet browsers. It is important to note that if you change your settings and block certain cookies, you will not be able to take full advantage of some features of our site, and we might not be able to provide some features you have previously chosen to use.