What’s a cookie?
• A “cookie” is a piece of information that is stored on your computer’s hard drive and which records how you move your way around a website so that, when you revisit that website, it can present tailored options based on the information stored about your last visit. Cookies can also be used to analyse traffic and for advertising and marketing purposes.
• Cookies are used by nearly all websites and do not harm your system.
If you want to check or change what types of cookies you accept, this can usually be altered within your browser settings. You can block cookies at any time by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies. However, if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including essential cookies) you may not be able to access all or parts of our site.
How do we use cookies?
• We use cookies to track your use of our website. This enables us to understand how you use the site and track any patterns with regards how you are using our website. This helps us to develop and improve our website as well as products and / or services in response to what you might need or want.
• Cookies are either:
– Session cookies: these are only stored on your computer during your web session and are automatically deleted when you close your browser – they usually store an anonymous session ID allowing you to browse a website without having to log in to each page but they do not collect any personal data from your computer;
• or
– Persistent cookies: a persistent cookie is stored as a file on your computer and it remains there when you close your web browser. The cookie can be read by the website that created it when you visit that website again. [We use persistent cookies for Google Analytics – we use Google Analytics, to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. We do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is only processed in a way which does not identify anyone. We do not make, and do not allow Google to make, any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our website. You can find more information on how cookies are used on this website in the Cookies Policy below. If we do want to collect personally identifiable information through our website, we will be up front about this. We will make it clear when we collect personal information and will explain what we intend to do with it. If
you are still not happy about having your data anonymously collected, you can opt out totally by using this browser addon developed by Google: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en. You can find Google Analytics full privacy policy here: https://policies.google.com/privacy
• Cookies can also be categorised as follows:
– Strictly necessary cookies: These cookies are essential to enable you to use the website effectively, such as when buying a product and / or service, and therefore cannot be turned off. Without these cookies, the services available to you on our website cannot be provided. These cookies do not gather information about you that could be used for marketing or remembering where you have been on the internet.
– Performance cookies: These cookies enable us to monitor and improve the performance of our website. For example, they allow us to count visits, identify traffic sources and see which parts of the site are most popular.
– Functionality cookies: These cookies allow our website to remember choices you make and provide enhanced features. For instance, we may be able to provide you with news or updates relevant to the services you use. They may also be used to provide services you have requested such as viewing a video or commenting on a blog. The information these cookies collect is usually anonymised.
[Please note that third parties who advertise on our website (including, for example, advertising networks and providers of external services like web traffic analysis services) may also use cookies, over which we have no control. These cookies are likely to be analytical/performance cookies or targeting cookies]
How to Clear Cookies, History & Browsing Data on Every Browser
Cookies are small text files placed in storage on your web browser. They are used to track user activity and are harmless.
Still, some people wish to delete cookies. This is easy to do. Every browser has a way to delete cookies. You’ll find instructions for many of the more popular browsers below.
In addition to deleting cookies, you can also delete your cache, browser history, stored password, and other browser storage. None of this will protect your privacy online, but it may help you keep secrets from other people who have access to your browser.
If you can’t find instructions here (your browser isn’t listed) you can usually search for help on browser’s help tool. Also, you can usually find it by “poking around” a little. Most browsers keep their cookie settings in one of a few places:
• History
• Preferences
• Settings
• Privacy (which may be a sub-heading of one of the other three)
In addition to regular cookies (HTTP cookies), you may also have “Flash cookies,” or “Adobe Local Storage Objects.” You usually can’t delete these from the browser, because they aren’t handled by the browser, they are handled by the Adobe flash player.
For information on how to delete and manage Adobe LSO’s see the Adobe website’s article on the Website Storage Panel.
Removing Cookies on Windows
Deleting Cookies from Google Chrome on Windows
1. From the main menu, click More tools > Clear Browsing Data
2. Select the items you would like to delete, including Cookies. Select the time period you would like affected.
3. Click Clear Browsing Data
You can use Incognito Mode (Ctrl + Shift + N) to automatically delete cookies and other session data when you close your browser window.
Deleting Cookies in Firefox on Windows
1. From the main toolbar, click Preferences
2. Select the Advanced panel
3. Click on the Network tab
4. Under Cached Web Content, click Clear Now
Deleting Cookies in Internet Explorer 11 on Windows
1. From the main toolbar, select Settings
2. Click Options
3. Under History, click Select
4. Select the cookies check box, then click Delete
You can also use InPrivate Browsing in Internet Explorer (found under Settings > Safety > InPrivate Browsing).
Removing Cookies on Mac
Deleting Cookies from Google Chrome on Mac
1. From the main toolbar: History -> Show Full History -> Clear Browsing Data
2. Select the items you would like to delete, including Cookies. Select the time period you would like affected.
3. Click Clear Browsing Data
You can also use Incognito Mode to automatically delete cookies and other session data when you close your browser window.
Deleting Cookies in Firefox on Mac
1. From the main toolbar: History -> Clear Recent History
2. Select the time period you would like affected, and the items you would like to delete, including cookies.
3. Click Clear Now.
You can also use a Private Window to automatically delete cookies and other session data when you close your browser window.
Deleting Cookies in Safari on Mac
1. From the main toolbar: History -> Clear History and Website Data
2. Select the time period you would like affected.
3. Click Clear History.
You can also use a Private Window to automatically delete cookies and other session data when you close your browser window.
