Cookie Policy

WHY DO WE HAVE A COOKIE POLICY?

This Cookie Policy sits in line with our obligations set out in the UK`s Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (“PECR”), the EU`s Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive (“PECD”). In accordance with them, we need to inform you about the cookies we use and obtain your consent when using certain types of cookies namely Functional, Performance, Analytical and Advertising Cookies.

WHAT ARE COOKIES?

A cookie is a small text file that is sent to your device's hard drive by a website. Each time you return to the same website, your browser retrieves and sends the relevant cookie(s) to our website’s server.

COOKIE ACCEPTANCE

By using our website after accepting the cookie notice that appears when you first visit our website, or by browsing our website, after having been presented with this notice, you agree to the placement of cookies on your computer in accordance with the terms of this Cookie Notice.

HOW ARE COOKIES USED?

Cookies used by us are stored on your device for a maximum period of 2 years from the date when they are initially installed or if they are subsequently updated, from the date of the update. Cookies can be divided into the following two broad categories:

• Technically necessary cookies (Essential)
  Technically necessary cookies are required for our website to function properly; they enable you to navigate our website efficiently and use its functional features.
• Technically non-essential cookies
  • Analytical/Performance Cookies: These cookies allow us to measure and report on website activity by tracking page visits, visitor locations and how visitors move around our website. The information collected does not directly identify visitors. We place these cookies to help us analyse that data.
  • Marketing/Advertising Cookies: Marketing cookies help us provide you with personalised and relevant services or advertising, and track the effectiveness of our digital marketing activities. They are capable of tracking your browser across other websites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit.

THE COOKIES WE USE

We utilise the below mentioned non-essential cookies, and other online identification technologies such as web beacons, or pixels to provide users with an improved user experience.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC. Google Analytics also uses cookies to enable our website to analyse how users use our website across multiple devices. The information generated by the cookies about your use of our website is transmitted to and stored by Google, including transmission to the United States. The following data is processed through the use of Google Analytics:

• 3 bytes of the IP address of the called system of the website visitor (anonymised IP address);
• the website called up;
• the website from which the user reached the accessed page of our website (referrer);
• the subpages accessed from the website;
• the time spent on the website; and
• the frequency with which the website is accessed.

Google states that it will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. The use of this service is based on your consent. You can withdraw your consent at any time using our cookie preference pop-up. The legal basis for the processing is also your consent. In relation to the data transfer into the USA Google’s processing agreement for GA, can be read here.

You can disable tracking by Google Analytics with future effect by downloading and installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on for your current web browser here.

Google Tag Manager

We also use Google Tag Manager. Google Tag Manager is a solution enabling us to administer website tags via an interface. Google Tag Manager itself, which implements the tags, is a cookie-free domain and does not record any personal data. However, the tool triggers other tags that may record your Personal Data. Google Tag Manager itself does not access this data. If you refuse Analytical/Performance and/ or Marketing and Social Media Cookies, Google Tag Manager remains in place. The legal basis for the processing is our legitimate interest.

Google Ads

We use Google Ads, an online advertising service provided by Google. Google Ads enables us to show advertisements in the Google search engine or on third-party websites when the user enters certain search terms on Google (keyword targeting). Furthermore, targeted advertisements can be shown on the basis of user data available to Google (e.g. location data and interests) (target group targeting). With the help of Google Ads, we can evaluate this data quantitatively, for example, which search terms have led to the display of our advertisements and how many ads have resulted in corresponding clicks. The use of this service is based on your consent.

Google Ads Remarketing

We also use the remarketing functions Google Ads. Google Ads Remarketing allows us to assign people who interact with our advertisements and website to specific target groups and to display interest-based advertising to them within the Google advertising network.

Further, the advertising target groups created by us using Google Ads Remarketing can be linked to Google's cross-device functions. This means that interest-based, personalised advertising (that is advertising that has been adapted to you depending on your previous usage and surfing behaviour) can also be displayed on another of your end devices (e.g. tablet or PC). The use of this service is based on your consent.

Google Conversion Tracking

We also use Google Conversion Tracking. With the help of Google conversion tracking, we and Google can recognise whether the user has performed certain actions. For example, we can evaluate which buttons on our website were clicked how often and which products were viewed or purchased particularly frequently. This information is used to create conversion statistics. We also learn the total number of users who clicked on our ads and what actions they took. We do not receive any information with which we can personally identify the user. Google itself uses cookies or comparable recognition technologies for identification. The use of this service is based on your consent.

Hotjar

We also use Hotjar, a web analytics service provided by Hotjar Ltd, to better understand usage patterns, the needs of our users and to optimise our services and user experience. Hotjar uses cookies and other technologies to collect information about user behaviour and user devices (in particular, a device's IP address (which is collected and stored in anonymised form), screen size, device type (unique device identifiers), browser information, geographic information (on a country-by-country basis only), preferred language for viewing our website). Hotjar stores this data in a pseudonymised user profile. Neither Hotjar nor we will use this information to identify individual users, nor will the data be merged with other data about individual users.

You can object to the creation of user profiles, the storage of data about your use of our website by Hotjar, and the use of tracking cookies by Hotjar on other sites at any time by following this link. The use of Hotjar is based on your consent.

HOW TO MANAGE COOKIES

In your browser

You also can manage your cookies preferences using the following links for some of the most popular internet browsers: Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera.

Cookie preference pop-up

We also offer a cookie preference pop-up when you first visit our website. This pop-up is a consent tool and allows you to specify your preference about cookies. You can accept or reject them or access this Cookie Policy before giving your consent to cookies or rejecting them.

Advertising personalisation or retargeting/tracking opt out

In addition, if you do not wish to participate in our advertising personalisation or retargeting/tracking you can object to behavioural advertising at the following websites: Your Online Choices, Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada, Network Advertising Initiative, AdChoices, the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (Europe only), and Google Ad Settings.

HOW DO WE MAKE CHANGES TO THIS POLICY?

We may change our Cookie Policy from time to time. When we change our Cookie Policy, we will publish the updated policy on our website. Please check this Cookie Policy regularly. Subject to applicable law, all changes will take effect as soon as we publish the new Cookie Policy, but where we have already collected information about you and/or where legally required to do so, we may take additional steps to inform you of any material changes to our Cookie Policy and may request that you agree to these changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE

Sunday, 30th of June, 2024