WHAT ARE COOKIES?

A cookie is a small text file which is sent to your computer or mobile device (referred to in this policy as a “device”) by the web server so that the website can remember some information about your browsing activity on the website. The cookie will collect information relating to your use of our sites, information about your device such as the device’s IP address and browser type, demographic data and, if you arrived at our site via a link from third party site, the URL of the linking page. If you are a registered user or subscriber it may also collect your name and email address, which may be transferred to data processors for registered user or subscriber verification purposes.

Cookies record information about your online preferences and help us to tailor our websites to your interests. Information provided by cookies can help us to analyse your use of our sites and help us to provide you with a better user experience.

Cookies are either ‘session’ or ‘persistent’ cookies, depending on how long they are stored for:

  • Session cookies are only stored for the duration of your visit to a website and are deleted from your device when you close your browser;
  • Persistent cookies are saved on your device for a fixed period of time after the browser has closed and are activated each time you visit the website where the cookie was generated.

In addition to cookies, Future’s websites also use web beacons. A web beacon is a line of code which is used by a website or, less frequently, a third party ad server to measure a user’s activity, such as interaction with an advert or purchase of a product. A web beacon is often invisible because it is only 1 x 1 pixel in size with no colour. A web beacon can also be known as a web bug, 1 by 1 GIF, invisible GIF and tracker GIF.

Click here for information on different types of cookies.

 

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF COOKIES?

  1. Essential or ‘Strictly Necessary’ Cookies

These are cookies which are essential for the running of our websites. Without these cookies, parts of our websites would not function. These cookies do not track where you have been on the internet and do not gather information about you that could be used for marketing purposes.

  1. Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to remember your preferences on our websites and to provide enhanced, more personal features. The information collected by these cookies is usually anonymised, so we cannot identify you personally. Functional cookies do not track your internet usage or gather information which could be used for selling advertising, but they do help with serving advertising.

  1. Analytical Performance Cookies

Analytical performance cookies are used to monitor the performance of our websites, for example, to determine the number of page views and the number of unique users a website has. Web analytics services may be designed and operated by third parties. The information provided by these cookies allows us to analyse patterns of user behaviour and we use that information to enhance user experience or identify areas of the website which may require maintenance. The information is anonymous (i.e. it cannot be used to identify you and does not contain personal information such as your name and email address) and it is only used for statistical purposes

  1. Behavioural Advertising Cookies

Behavioural advertising cookies, which may be placed on your device by us or our trusted third party service providers, remember that you have visited a website and use that information to provide you with advertising which is tailored to your interests. This is often called online behavioural advertising (OBA) and is done by grouping together shared interests based upon web browsing history. Your web browsing history can be used to infer things about you (e.g. your age, gender etc.), and this information may also be used to make advertising on websites more relevant to you. Although behavioural advertising cookies can track your activity around the internet they cannot identify you personally, even if you are signed in to our website. Without these cookies, online advertisements you encounter will be less relevant to you and your interests. If you would like more information about OBA, including how to opt-out of these cookies, please visit www.youronlinechoices.com.

 

HOW CAN I MANAGE OR OPT OUT OF COOKIES?

Some people find the idea of a website storing information on their device a little intrusive, in particular when the information is stored and used by a third party. For example, you may object to being served advertising which is targeted to your interests based on your browsing history. If you would prefer to opt out of cookies, it is possible to control cookies by following the steps below, however you should be aware that you might lose some features and functionality of the website if you do so.

Cookies, including those which have already been set, can be deleted from your hard drive. You can also change the preferences/settings in your web browser to control cookies. In some cases, you can choose to accept cookies from the primary site, but block them from third parties. In others, you can block cookies from specific advertisers, or clear out all cookies. Deleting or blocking cookies may reduce functionality of the site. To learn more about how to reject cookies, visit www.allaboutcookies.org or go to the help menu within your internet browser. If you experience any problems having deleted cookies, you should contact the supplier of your web browser.