Cookie Policy
COOKIES
Like most other websites, we may use ‘cookies’. Cookies are small amounts of data that a website transfers to an individual’s hard drive for record-keeping purposes. Cookies allow the website to remember important information that will make your use of a website more convenient.
For example, we may use cookies so that we remember you when you return to our website, to administer certain competitions, and to track the total number of visitors to our website on an anonymous aggregate basis.
You can set your web browser to refuse cookies or to tell you when you receive a cookie. If you disable all cookies, you may not be able to take advantage of all the features on this website.
ANALYTICS TOOLS
We use Google Analytics and some other third-party tools to retrieve non-personal information in the form of usage and user metrics when you using our websites.
These tools collect and analyze information such as:
- Cookies
- IP addresses
- Identifiers for different devices and software
- Exit and referring URLs
- Behaviour and Usage information
- Purchase history
- MAC Address
- Unique device IDs
- and other similar information.
Third party analytics companies that retrieve information from our sites or online products may combine this information with other information that they have collected independently from other websites, online products or mobile activities.
Google has further information regarding remarketing on their Remarketing Privacy Guidelines page.
Cookies Explained
- What is a cookie?
Cookies are small text files that are sent by websites that you visit to recognise who you are when you return there. These files are stored on your computer’s hard drive and are read by your web browser.
- How are cookies used?
Cookies perform several functions, such as remembering who you are on a particular site (your welcome message), to keeping you logged in to your account screen on an e-commerce site (however, you should always log out if you are using a public computer).
Advertising agencies also use cookies to find out if they have served you an advert from a particular brand on a site, or if you have seen a particular advert before.
Website owners will use cookies to follow which pages that you’ve read so that they can see what parts of the site are popular or not. In short, cookies are a way of providing statistics on site visits as well as some limited functionality that makes your site visit easier.
When used properly, cookies are an asset to a site visitor and a site owner. They are not viruses, but some unscrupulous outfits will use them maliciously. CWI follows best practice for cookies use.
- Flash cookies?
Adobe uses a particular type of cookie called a ‘Local Shared Object’, which is typically collected if you watch a video for example that uses the Adobe Flash media player, i.e. an embedded YouTube video on a page that is being played via Flash. Please note that these types of cookie will not be found on iPads, which do not support Flash.
Have a look at Adobe’s website if you want to control Flash cookies on your computer. If you’ve got a Firefox browser you can also get an add-on to detect and delete Flash cookies.
- Opting out of cookies?
There are a number of options available so that you do not have to store any cookies at all. You can either set your browser so that it will not accept and store any cookie, or if you have a little more time and knowledge you are able to allow only certain ‘trusted’ sites to store cookies on your computer. These sites may include us, or the site where you carry out your online banking, or possibly your favourite news service.
It’s worth bearing in mind that if you decide to delete all of your cookies, then you will likely have to re-enter all of your usernames and passwords on all of the sites that you visit, which you previously didn’t even have to think about. As we mentioned before, cookies can be a real asset to your web surfing experience.
- What is a web beacon?
Web beacons are also sometimes referred to as ‘web bugs’ and are small single pixel transparent image files. They allow website owners to know when a visitor has reached their website and are used in conjunction with cookies to allow further website tracking to be monitored. Again, these files are not viruses, but are useful in helping us to make your web surfing experience better.