Cookies are small data files sent by a website’s server to a web browser, processor memory or hard drive and stored there. They can be used for a range of different purposes, such as customising a website for a particular user, helping a user navigate a website, improving that user’s website experience, and storing that user’s preferences and login information.
Cookies can be classified as either ‘essential’ or ‘non-essential’.
Essential cookies: these are cookies that are either:
- used solely to carry out or facilitate the transmission of communications over a network; or
- strictly necessary to provide an online service (e.g. our website or a service on our website) which you have requested.
Non-essential cookies: these are any cookies that do not fall within the definition of essential cookies, such as cookies used to analyse your behaviour on a website (‘analytical’ cookies) or cookies used to display advertisements to you (‘advertising’ cookies).
Cookies can be classified as either ‘session’ or ‘persistent’, depending on how long they last after they are placed on your browser.
Session cookies: session cookies last for as long as you keep your browser open. They expire when you close your browser.
Persistent cookies: persistent cookies expire at a fixed point in time or if you manually delete them from your browser, whichever occurs first.
Cookies can be classified as ‘first party’ or ‘third party’.
First party cookies: these are cookies placed on your device by our website domain.
Third party cookies: these are cookies placed on your device by third party website domains.
| Name of Cookie
|
Type of cookie | Purpose |
| ads
|
Advertising | Tracks if a visitor has clicked an ad before. |
| lr_nw
|
Advertising | [Counts and tracks pageviews on Longreads.com. Used to determine whether or not to show our Membership popup message. |
| wordpress_eli
|
Advertising | Reduces the display of ads for repeat visitors. |
| __pdvt
|
Analytics and Performance | Used in log of Polldaddy survey data to aid in debugging customer problems |
| ab
|
Analytics and Performance | Used for “AB testing” of new features. |
| lnux_flow_name
|
Analytics and Performance | Identifies which user signup flow was shown to the user. |
| tk_ni / tk_ai / tk_qs
|
Analytics and Performance | Gathers information for our own, first party analytics tool about how our services are used. A collection of internal metrics for user activity, used to improve user experience. |
| wp-affiliate-tracker
|
Analytics and Performance | Remembers the ID of the affiliate that referred the current user to WordPress.com |
| utma / utmb / utmc / utmt / utmz / ga / gat / gid
|
Analytics and Performance | Google Analytics. Gathers information that helps us understand how visitors interact with our websites, which allow us to create a better experience for our visitors. Our users may also implement Google Analytics on their own websites. |
| _longreads_prod_new
|
Functionality | Authentication for Longreads.com Member accounts. Only active when logged in, on *.longreads.com domains. |
| akm_mobile
|
Functionality | Stores whether a user has chosen to view the mobile version of a website. |
| botdlang
|
Functionality | Used to track the language a user has selected to view popular blogs in. |
| landingpage_currency | Functionality | Defines the currency displayed in WordPress.com landing pages. |
| pd_dashboard
|
Functionality | Records last used folder in Polldaddy dashboard so it can be reopened upon user’s next visit. |
| PD_USER_AUTH
|
Functionality | Login cookie used to identify Polldaddy user. |
| wordpress_logged_in*
|
Functionality | Checks whether or not the current visitor is a logged in WordPress.com user. |
| wp-settings-{user_id}
|
Functionality | Persists a user’s wp-admin configuration. |
| wp_sharing_{id}
|
Functionality | Tracks whether or not a user has already performed an action. |
| csrftoken
|
Security | [Python/Ajax security cookie used on accounts.longreads.com. |
| country_code
|
Strictly Necessary | [Used in order to determine whether or not the cookie banner should be shown. Set immediately on page load and retained for 6 hours to remember the visitor’s country. |
| sensitive_pixel_option
|
Strictly Necessary | Remembers the state of visitor acceptance to the cookie banner. Only set when the visitor clicks Accept. |
| twostep_auth
|
Strictly Necessary | Set when the user is logged in using two factor authentication. |
| wordpress_test_cookie
|
Strictly Necessary | Checks if cookies are enabled to provide appropriate user experience. |
| Amazon
|
Advertisements from Third Parties Through Automattic’s Ads Program | https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=footer_iba?ie=UTF8&nodeId=201909150 |
| AppNexus
|
Advertisements from Third Parties Through Automattic’s Ads Program | https://www.appnexus.com/en/company/cookie-policy |
| BidSwitch
|
Advertisements from Third Parties Through Automattic’s Ads Program | http://www.bidswitch.com/cookie-statement/ |
| Criteo
|
Advertisements from Third Parties Through Automattic’s Ads Program | https://www.criteo.com/cookie-policy/ |
| Google (AdSense, DoubleClick Ad Exchange “AdX”)
|
Advertisements from Third Parties Through Automattic’s Ads Program | [https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads |
| OATH
|
Advertisements from Third Parties Through Automattic’s Ads Program | https://policies.oath.com/us/en/oath/privacy/topics/cookies/index.html |
| Pubmatic
|
Advertisements from Third Parties Through Automattic’s Ads Program | https://pubmatic.com/legal/website-cookie-policy/ |
| Skimlinks
|
Advertisements from Third Parties Through Automattic’s Ads Program | https://skimlinks.com/user-cookies |
These are cookies which are strictly necessary for our website to be able to operate or to provide you with a service on our website which you have requested. We use the following essential cookies on our website:
- third party session cookies to remember your input when you fill in an online form over several pages on our website. These cookies are wp_sharing_{id}, pd_dashboard.
- third party session cookies to recognise whether you have accepted the use of cookies on our website. These cookies are: wordpress_test_cookie.
- third party session cookies to remember the language in which to display our website to you. These cookies are: botdlang. These cookies expire after 30 days.
Legal basis for processing: we process information about you contained in or obtained from essential cookies in our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legitimate interests: ensuring our site functions properly and providing you with online services you have requested.
How to opt out of essential cookies
Most browsers allow you to block all cookies, including essential cookies. Please note, however, that if you block all cookies, parts of our website and its functionality may not work or display properly.
You can delete existing cookies from your browser by clearing your browsing data and ensuring that the option to delete cookies is selected.
For more detailed information on how to accept and reject cookies, including guidance for specific browsers, please see the section below entitled How to accept or reject cookies
We use the following types of non-essential cookies on our website:
- Functional cookies
- Analytical (or performance) cookies
Functional cookies
These are cookies that are designed for purposes such as enhancing a website’s functionality. These are either not strictly essential for the website or functionality which you have requested to work, or are cookies which serve non-essential purposes in addition to their essential purpose. We use the following functional cookies on our website:
- third party session cookies to improve our website’s appearance our website and personalise it for you, including mobile version, track if you have performed an action before, define currency displayed. These cookies are: wp_sharing_{id}, akm_mobile, landingpage_currency. These cookies expire after 30 days.
- third party session cookies to [login, registration and language preferences] These cookies are: [wordpress_logged_in and wp-wpml_current_language]. These cookies expire after 30 days.
How to opt in or out from functional cookies
See the section below entitled How to accept or reject cookies
Processing information about you contained in or obtained from functional cookies
[Legal basis for processing: we process information about you contained in or obtained from functional cookies in our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation). We will only process such personal information if you have consented to us placing cookies on your computer or device.
Legitimate interests: improving your website experience and providing [or enhancing] the website functionality you have requested [and] [marketing the right opportunities to candidates].
[For further information on how we use the information gathered from our use of functional cookies, please see the section entitled Our use of automated decision making and profiling in our privacy policy, which is available here: Privacy Policy
Analytical (or performance) cookies
Analytical (or performance) cookies track and gather data about what a user does on a website. These cookies are not essential for our website or its functionality to work. We use the following analytical cookies on our website:
- [We use Google Analytics cookies on our website. Google Analytics cookies help us understand how you engage and interact with our website, including how you came to our website, which pages you visited, for how long and what you clicked on, your location (based on your IP address). The Google Analytics cookies used on our website are: [_ga]. These cookies are session AND persistent cookies. These cookies expire after [2 years].][The information we collect using analytical cookies is collected on an anonymised basis.]
More information
Google Analytics cookies are classified as first party cookies as they are set by our website domain, although Google collects and processes information from our use of Google Analytics. To find out more about how Google handles information collected from Google Analytics, see Google Analytics’ privacy policy, which is available here: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245
For information on how Google uses data from cookies it uses, please visit www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/
How to opt in or out from analytical cookies
See the section below entitled How to accept or reject cookies
[To opt out of Google Analytics tracking across all websites in general, you can do so here: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
Processing information about you contained in or obtained from analytical cookies
[Legal basis for processing: we process information about you contained in or obtained from analytical cookies in our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legitimate interests: analysing how individuals use our website to help us improve our website and business. For further information on how we use the information gathered from our use of analytical cookies, including profiling, please see the section entitled Our use of automated decision making and profiling in our privacy policy, which is available here: Privacy Policy
This provision should only be included if you use Google Analytics on your website.
How to accept or reject cookies
There are a number of different ways in which you can accept or reject some or all cookies [and similar technologies] Some of the main methods of doing so are described below:
You are welcome to block the use of some or all of the cookies we use on our website. However, please be aware that doing so may impair our website and its functionality or may even render some or all of it unusable.
You should also be aware that clearing all cookies from your browser will also delete any cookies that are storing your preferences, for example, whether you have accepted cookies on a website or any cookies that are blocking other cookies.
You can find more detailed information about cookies and adjusting your browser settings by visiting www.allaboutcookies.org
Accepting or rejecting cookies
Browser settings
You can accept or reject some or all cookies (for example, blocking all third party cookies) by adjusting your browser settings. If you do not know how to do this, the links below set out information about how to change your browser settings for some of the most commonly used web browsers:
- Google Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?hl=en-GB
- Mozilla Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/delete-browsing-search-download-history-firefox?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=Clear+Recent+History
- Microsoft Internet Explorer: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/278835/how-to-delete-cookie-files-in-internet-explorer
- Apple Safari: https://support.apple.com/kb/PH5042?locale=en_US
Some browsers, such as Chrome and Firefox, allow you to change your settings to browse in ‘incognito’ mode, limiting the amount of data placed on your machine and automatically deleting any persistent cookies placed on your device when you finish your browsing session. There are also many third party applications which you can add to your browser to block or manage cookies.
Existing cookies
To clear cookies that have previously been placed on your browser, you should select the option to clear your browsing history and ensure that the option to delete or clear cookies is included when you do so.
Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the browser add-on which is available here: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
You can accept or reject some or all cookies (for example, blocking all third party cookies) by adjusting your browser settings. If you do not know how to do this, the links below set out information about how to change your browser settings for some of the most commonly used web browsers:
- Google Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?hl=en-GB
- Mozilla Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/delete-browsing-search-download-history-firefox?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=Clear+Recent+History
- Microsoft Internet Explorer: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/278835/how-to-delete-cookie-files-in-internet-explorer
- Apple Safari: https://support.apple.com/kb/PH5042?locale=en_US
Some browsers, such as Chrome and Firefox, allow you to change your settings to browse in ‘incognito’ mode, limiting the amount of data placed on your machine and automatically deleting any persistent cookies placed on your device when you finish your browsing session. There are also many third party applications which you can add to your browser to block or manage cookies.
Existing cookies
To clear cookies that have previously been placed on your browser, you should select the option to clear your browsing history and ensure that the option to delete or clear cookies is included when you do so.
You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the browser add-on which is available here: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout