Introduction
This is a notice to inform you of our cookies policy. It forms part of our privacy policy.
We take the protection of your privacy and confidentiality seriously. We understand that all visitors to our website are entitled to know how their personal data is used, and that it will not be passed to a third party without their knowledge.
Our policy reflects the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The law requires us to tell you about your rights and our obligations to you as regards the processing and control of your personal data. We do this now, by asking you to read the information provided at Know Your Privacy Rights.
We undertake to preserve the confidentiality of all information you provide to us, and hope that you reciprocate.
Except as set out below, we do not share, or sell, or disclose to any third party, any information collected through our website.
1. Cookies
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device by your web browser when you visit any website. They allow information gathered on one web page to be stored until it is needed for use on another, allowing a website to provide you with a personalised experience and the website owner with statistics about how you use the website so that it can be improved.
Session cookies remain in your browser during your browser session only, i.e. until you leave the website.
Persistent cookies remain in your browser after the session (unless deleted by you).
Types of cookies
Essential (Strictly Necessary) cookies allow a website to function and provide you with services you may request. For example, these include the cookies that make it possible for you to stay logged into your account or use search functions.
Performance cookies collect information about your use of the website, such as webpages visited and any error messages; they do not collect personally identifiable information, and the information collected is aggregated such that it is anonymous. Performance cookies are used to improve how a website works.
Functionality cookies allow the website to remember any choices you make about the website (such as changes to text size, customised pages) or enable services such as commenting on a blog or preferred currency in checkout.
Third-party (Targeting, Tracking or Advertising) cookies are installed by third-party websites usually advertisers. They gather data about your browsing habits, and track you across multiple websites. Privacy settings in most modern browsers allow you to block third-party tracking cookies.
How we use cookies
We use three types of cookies — Essential, Performance and Functionality.
They are placed by software that operates on our servers, and by software operated by third parties whose analytic services we use (see Item 3. Use of Analytics).
When you first visit our website, we ask you whether you wish us to use cookies and what type you will allow. You can choose not to accept all or some.
If you choose not to use cookies or you prevent their use through your browser settings, you will not be able to use all the functionality of our website.
We use cookies in the following ways:
1.1. to understand how you use our website
1.2. to record whether you have seen specific messages we display on our website
1.3. to keep you signed into our site
1.4. to record your answers to surveys and questionnaires on our site if you complete them
1.5. to record the conversation thread during a live chat with our support team
These functions do not record personally identifiable data unless you give permission e.g. open an account, commence a chat session or post a comment. For information on how we use and secure this data please read our privacy policy.
Blocking cookies
Your web browser will allow you to prevent or limit cookie use:
Internet Explorer — Delete & manage cookies
Microsoft Edge — Microsoft Edge, browsing data & privacy
Firefox — Block websites from storing cookies & site data
Google Chrome — Turn cookies on or off
Safari — Manage cookies & website data in Safari on Mac
Opera — Web preferences
Blocking all cookies will, however, have a negative impact upon the usability of many websites. If you block cookies, you may not be able to use certain features on the website (log on, access content, use search functions).
Deleting cookies
You can also delete cookies already stored on your computer. You can find more detailed information about how you can delete or manage cookies through your browser’s help function or visit All About Cookies.org.
2. Embedded content from other websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.
These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged into that website. For example being logged into a social media account while browsing another site. See also Item 4. Social Media Plugins.
We do not collect or receive this data. You should refer to the privacy policy of your social media account provider or similar.
3. Use of Analytics
Web analytics are used for the analysis and optimization of our website pursuant to Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. f GDPR. Web analytics is the collection, gathering, and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. A web analysis service collects, inter alia, data about the website from which a person has come (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages were visited, or how often and for what duration a sub-page was viewed.
Google Analytics
Our website uses Google Analytics, a web analysis service of Google, Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA, www.google.com (Google Analytics or Google).
Google Analytics employs cookies that are stored on your device in order to facilitate an analysis of your use of the site. The information generated by these cookies, such as time, place and frequency of your visits to our site, including your IP address, is transmitted to Google’s location in the US and stored there. Please read Google’s privacy policy
In using Google Analytics our website employs the extension “anonymizeIp”. In doing so, Google abbreviates and thereby anonymizes your IP address before transferring it from EU/EEA member states. Google uses this information to analyze your use of our site, to compile reports for us on internet activity and to provide other services relating to our website.
Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law or where such third parties process this data on Google’s behalf. Google states that it will never associate your IP address with other data held by Google. You can prevent cookies from being installed by adjusting the settings in your browser software as noted earlier in this Cookie Policy. You should be aware, however, that by doing so you may not be able to make full use of all the functions of our website.
Google Analytics also offers a deactivation add-on for most current browsers that provides you with more control over what data Google can collect on websites you access. The add-on tells the JavaScript (ga.js) used by Google Analytics not to transmit any information about website visits to Google Analytics. However, the browser deactivation add-on offered by Google Analytics does not prevent information from being transmitted to us or to other web analysis services we may engage.
Google Analytics also uses electronic images known as web beacons (sometimes called single pixel gifs) and are used along with cookies to compile aggregated statistics to analyze how our site is used.
You can find additional information on how to install the browser add-on referenced above at the following link:
https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en.
For the cases in which personal data is transferred to the US, Google has self-certified pursuant to the EU-US Privacy Shield.
4. Social media plug-ins
You can identify the plug-in provider by the first letter or logo displayed above the box. The button allows you to communicate directly with the plug-in provider.
Activating the plug-in will cause personal data to be transmitted to the respective provider and stored there. Due to the fact that the plug-in provider collects data particularly via cookies, we recommend you delete all cookies on your computer via the security settings of your browser before clicking on the shaded box.
We have no control over the collected data and data processing operations, neither are we aware of the scope of data collected, the purposes of their processing and the respective storage durations. We also have no information pertaining to the deletion of the collected data by the plug-in provider.
The plug-in provider will store the data collected about you in the form of usage profiles and use them for advertising and market research purposes and/or for the purpose of assuring the needs-adequate design of its website. This kind of data analysis (including for users who are not logged in) serves the purpose of delivering needs-adequate advertising and to inform other social network users about your activities on our website.
You have the right to object against the generation of these kinds of user profiles. To exercise this right, you will have to contact the respective plug-in provider directly. The plug-ins offer you the opportunity to interact with the social networks and other users while allowing us to improve our services and make them more interesting for our users. The legal basis for using plug-ins is Article 6 paragraph 1 sentence 1 GDPR.
The data will be disclosed irrespective of whether you have an account with the respective plug-in provider and are logged into that account. If you are logged into your account with the plug-in provider, the data collected on our website will be directly linked to your account with the respective plug-in provider.
When you click on the activated button and, for example, place a link to the respective website, the plug-in provider will also store this information in your user account and publicly share the information with your contacts. We recommend you regularly log out of your social network accounts, but especially before you activate the button. This will allow you to prevent the plug-in provider from allocating the information to your profile.
Further information about the purpose and scope of the collection and processing of data by the plug-in provider can be obtained from the data protection statement of the respective provider.
5. How you can voice a concern
5.1. If you are not happy with our policy or if have any concerns then you can contact us.
5.2. If a dispute is not settled then we hope you will agree to attempt to resolve it by engaging in good faith with us.
5.3. If you are in any way dissatisfied about how we process your personal information, you have a right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner or similar within your jurisdiction.
6. Compliance with the law
Our cookies policy has been compiled so as to comply with the law of every country or legal jurisdiction in which we aim to do business. If you think it fails to satisfy the law of your jurisdiction, we would like to hear from you.
7. Review of this cookies policy
We may update this cookies notice from time to time as necessary. The terms that apply to you are those posted here on our website on the day you use our website. We advise you to print a copy for your records.
If you have any question regarding our cookies policy, please contact us.
Updated July 2, 2020