Cookie Policy
Our website uses cookies.
The following information aims to provide users with details about the placement, use, and management of cookies on our website.
If you need more information and it is not found below, you can contact us at any time.
Please read the following information carefully. This website uses its own and third-party cookies to provide visitors with a better browsing experience and services tailored to the needs and interests of each user.
In the context of "web 2.0", cookies play an important role in facilitating access to and delivery of various services that users enjoy on the Internet, such as:
- Personalizing certain settings such as: the language in which a site is viewed, the currency in which certain prices or rates are expressed, keeping options for various products (sizes, other details, etc.) in the shopping cart (and remembering these options) – thus generating the flexibility of the "shopping cart."
- Providing valuable feedback to website owners on how their sites are used by users, so they can make them more efficient and accessible.
- Enabling multimedia or other applications from other sites to be included in a specific site to create a more valuable, useful, and enjoyable browsing experience.
What is a "cookie"?
An "Internet Cookie" (also known as a "browser cookie" or "HTTP cookie") is a small file, consisting of letters and numbers, which will be stored on the computer, mobile terminal, or other equipment of a user accessing the Internet. The cookie is installed through a request issued by a web server to a browser (e.g., Internet Explorer, Chrome) and is completely "passive" (it does not contain software programs, viruses, or spyware and cannot access information on the user’s hard drive).
A cookie consists of two parts: its name and content or value. Moreover, the duration of a cookie's existence is determined; technically, only the web server that sent the cookie can access it again when a user returns to the website associated with that web server. Cookies themselves do not require personal information to be used and, in most cases, do not personally identify Internet users.
There are two main categories of cookies:
- Session cookies – these are temporarily stored in the cookie file of the web browser so that it can remember them until the user exits the website or closes the browser window (e.g., when logging in/out of a webmail account or social networks).
- Persistent cookies – these are stored on the hard drive of a computer or equipment (and generally depend on the preset cookie lifespan). Persistent cookies also include those placed by a website other than the one the user is currently visiting – known as 'third-party cookies' – which can be used anonymously to remember a user’s interests so that the most relevant advertising is delivered to users.
What are the advantages of cookies?
A cookie contains information that links a web browser (user) to a specific web server (website). If a browser accesses that web server again, it can read the already stored information and react accordingly. Cookies provide users with a pleasant browsing experience and support the efforts of many websites to offer comfortable services to users: e.g., online privacy preferences, site language options, shopping carts, or relevant advertising.
What is the lifespan of a cookie?
Cookies are managed by web servers. The lifespan of a cookie can vary significantly, depending on the purpose for which it is placed. Some cookies are used exclusively for a single session (session cookies) and are not retained once the user leaves the website, while others are retained and reused each time the user returns to that website ('persistent cookies'). However, cookies can be deleted by a user at any time through browser settings.
What are third-party cookies?
Certain content sections on some sites may be provided through third parties/providers (e.g., a news box, a video, or an advertisement). These third parties can also place cookies through the website and they are called "third-party cookies" because they are not placed by the owner of the website. Third-party providers must also comply with the applicable law and the privacy policies of the site owner.
What type of information is stored and accessed via cookies?
Cookies keep information in a small text file that allows a website to recognize a browser. The web server will recognize the browser until the cookie expires or is deleted. The cookie stores information important to enhance the browsing experience (e.g., language settings for accessing a site, keeping a user logged into their webmail account, online banking security, keeping products in the shopping cart).
Why are cookies important for the Internet?
Cookies are the focal point of the efficient functioning of the Internet, helping to generate a friendly browsing experience tailored to each user's preferences and interests. Refusing or disabling cookies can make some sites impossible to use. Refusing or disabling cookies does not mean that you will no longer receive online advertising, but that it will no longer be able to consider your preferences and interests, as evidenced by your browsing behavior.
Security and privacy issues
Cookies are NOT viruses! They use plain text formats. They are not made up of code blocks, so they cannot be executed nor can they self-run. Consequently, they cannot duplicate or replicate on other networks to run or replicate again. Because they cannot perform these functions, they cannot be considered viruses. However, cookies can be used for negative purposes. Because they store information about users' preferences and browsing history, both on a specific site and across multiple other sites, cookies can be used as a form of spyware. Many anti-spyware products are aware of this fact and consistently mark cookies to be deleted during anti-virus/anti-spyware deletion/scan procedures. In general, browsers have built-in privacy settings that provide different levels of cookie acceptance, validity period, and automatic deletion after the user has visited a specific site.
Other security issues related to cookies
Because identity protection is very valuable and represents the right of every Internet user, it is advisable to know what possible problems cookies can create. Because they constantly transmit information in both directions between the browser and the website, if an attacker or unauthorized person intervenes in the data transmission path, the information contained in the cookie can be intercepted. Although very rare, this can happen if the browser connects to the server using an unencrypted network (e.g., an unsecured WiFi network). Other cookie-based attacks involve incorrect cookie settings on servers. If a website does not require the browser to use only encrypted channels, attackers can use this vulnerability to trick browsers into sending information through unsecured channels. Attackers then use the information to gain unauthorized access to certain sites. It is crucial to be careful in choosing the most appropriate method to protect personal information.
Tips for safe and responsible browsing, based on cookies
Due to their flexibility and the fact that most of the most visited and largest websites use cookies, they are almost unavoidable. Disabling cookies will not allow the user access to the most widespread and used sites including YouTube, Gmail, Yahoo, and others.
All modern browsers offer the ability to change cookie settings. These settings are usually found in the "options" or "preferences" menu of your browser.