INFORMATION ABOUT OUR USE OF COOKIES AND OTHER TECHNOLOGIES

Effective date: June 1 2014

Cookies allow a web server to transfer data to a computer for recordkeeping and other purposes. Our websites use cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site.
Due to recent changes in law, all websites who operate across certain parts of the European Union are required to obtain explicit consent using or storing cookies (or similar technologies) on your computers or mobile device. This cookie policy provides you with clear and comprehensive information about the cookies we use and the purposes for using those cookies.

For further information about this policy, please contact: privacy@competitioncorner.net

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a harmless small file of letters and numbers that are placed on your browser or the hard drive of your computer. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer's hard drive.

What is a web beacon?

Web beacons, such as clear GIFs, web bugs, or pixel tags, are tiny graphics with a unique identifier, similar in function to cookies, and are used to track the online movements of web users. In contrast to cookies, which are stored on a user’s computer hard drive, web beacons are embedded invisibly on web pages and are about the size of the period at the end of this sentence.

How are these technologies used?

We and our authorized third party partners may use device identification, cookies, web beacons, or similar technologies on our site and emails to deliver more relevant advertising to consumers, sometimes called online behavioral advertising.

All of these technologies perform important and useful functions. Namely, they:

  • make it possible to provide personalized pages for visitors;
  • help advertisers avoid repeatedly serving the same ads to the same visitor;
  • help website owners determine which sections of their sites are more appealing;
  • help advertisers learn which advertisements are of interest to our customers on the Web; and
  • help us track e-mail response rates, measure the success of our marketing campaigns, identify when our e-mails are viewed and track whether our e-mails are forwarded.

Key Concepts

What is device identification?
Device Identification is a technology that identifies devices by collecting information from the browser on the device, such as the browser version, operating system, IP address, installed fonts, time zone and more. These pieces of information are used to uniquely identify a device. This process does not use any personal information. The device ID generated through the device identification process may be stored in a cookie.

What is online behavioral advertising?
Online Behavioral Advertising refers to the practice of online advertisers and website operators using information collected through both first and third party cookies for the purpose of building user behavior profiles and for delivering targeted advertising and content to users based on user preferences.

What are the different types of cookies?
First and third-party cookies: whether a cookie is ‘first’ or ‘third’ party refers to the domain placing the cookie. First-party cookies are those set by a website that is being visited by the user at the time (e.g., cookies placed by www.competitioncorner.net).

Third-party cookies: are cookies that are set by a domain other than that of the website being visited by the user. If a user visits a website and another entity sets a cookie through that website this would be a third-party cookie.

Persistent cookies: these cookies remain on a user’s device for the period of time specified in the cookie. They are activated each time that the user visits the website that created that particular cookie.
Session cookies: these cookies allow website operators to link the actions of a user during a browser session. A browser session starts when a user opens the browser window and finishes when they close the browser window. Session cookies are created temporarily. Once you close the browser, all session cookies are deleted.
Local Storage Objects (aka Flash Cookies): these cookies are different from browser cookies because of the amount of, type of, and how data is stored. Cookie management tools provided by your browser will not remove Flash cookies. To learn how to manage privacy and storage settings for Flash cookies click here:  http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager.html#117118

How to delete and block our cookies
You block cookies by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies. However, if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including essential cookies) you may not be able to access all or parts of our site. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies as soon you visit our site. Turning off or deleting cookies will not prevent device identification and related data collection from occurring.
Turning off the browser's cookies will prevent web beacons and cookies from measuring the relevance and effectiveness of our site/emails and advertising as well as the tailored advertising brought to you by our partners. You may also not be able to use all the interactive features of our site/emails if cookies are disabled. Consumers who no longer wish to receive tailored advertisements from us, third party advertising networks or, if you would like more information about this practice please visit www.aboutads.info.

Can I withdraw my consent?
Once you have given us your consent to the use of cookies, we shall store a cookie on your computer or device to remember this for next time. This will expire periodically. If you wish to withdraw your consent at any time, you will need to delete your cookies using your internet browser settings.
For further information about deleting or blocking cookies, please visit: http://www.aboutcookies.org/how-to-delete-cookies/.

What cookies do we use and why?
The cookies used on our site are categorised as follows:

  • Strictly necessary
  • Performance
  • Functionality
  • Targeting

Strictly Necessary
“Strictly Necessary” cookies let you move around the website and use essential features like secure areas and shopping baskets. Without these cookies, services you have asked for cannot be provided. Please note that these cookies do not gather any information about you that could be used for marketing or remembering where you've been on the internet.
We use these Strictly Necessary cookies to:

  • Remember information you have entered on order forms when you navigate to different pages during a web browser session;
  • Remember the goods and services you ordered when you get to the checkout page;
  • Identify you as being logged in to our website;
  • Make sure you connect to the right service on our website when we make any changes to the way the website works;
  • To route users to specific applications of a service, or specific servers.

Accepting these cookies is a condition of using the website, so if you prevent these cookies we can't guarantee your use of our website or how the security on our website will perform during your visit.

Performance
“Performance” cookies collect information about how you use our website (e.g., which pages you visit, and if you experience any errors). These cookies do not collect any information that could identify you and are only used to help us improve how our website works, understand what interests our users, and measure how effective our advertising is.
We use Performance cookies for:

  • Web Analytics: To provide statistics on how our website is used;
  • Ad Response Rates: To see how effective our advertisements are, including those pointing to our sites;
  • Affiliate Tracking: To provide feedback to partners that one of our visitors also visited their website. This can include details of any products purchased;
  • Error Management: To help us improve the website by measuring any errors that occur;
  • Testing Designs: To test different designs of our website;
  • Content Management: To help optimize the delivery of certain media, such as video.

Some of our Performance cookies are managed for us by third parties. Where this is the case, we don't allow the third party to use the cookies for any purpose other than those listed above.
By using our site, you accept the use of “Performance” cookies. Accepting these cookies is a condition of using the website, so if you prevent them we cannot guarantee how our site will perform for you.

Functionality
“Functionality” cookies are used to provide services or to remember settings to improve your visit.
We use Functionality cookies to:

  • Remember settings you've applied, such as layout, text size, preferences, and colors;
  • Remember if we've already asked you if you want to fill in a survey;
  • Show you when you're logged in to the website;
  • Remember volume settings when playing video.

Some of these cookies are managed for us by third parties. Where this is the case, we don't allow the third party to use the cookies for any purpose other than those listed above.

Targeting
“Targeting” cookies are linked to services provided by third parties, such as 'Like' buttons and 'Share' buttons. Third parties provide these services in return for recognizing that you have visited our website.
We use Targeting cookies to:

  • Link to social networks like Facebook, that may subsequently use information about your visit to target advertising to you on other websites;
  • Provide advertisers, whether directly or through a third party such as a media agency, ad network, or exchange with information on your visit so that they can present you with advertisements in which you may be interested.
  • Provide information to third party data aggregators for the purposes of matching, audience research and the creation of audience segments.

You can control whether or not these cookies are used, but preventing them may prevent us from offering you some services or targeted advertising.

Choices
The website http://www.networkadvertising.org/optout_nonppii.asp provides information regarding this practice by Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI”) members, and your choices regarding having this information used by these companies, including how to “opt-out” of third-party ad networks operated by NAI members.

You also may contact About Ads at http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ for information about opting out of targeted advertising and your choices regarding having information used by About Ads member companies, including how to “opt-out” of third-party ad networks operated by About Ads members.
Opting out of one or more NAI members or About Ad members (many of which will be the same) only means that those members no longer will deliver targeted content or ads to you, but it does not mean you will no longer receive any targeted content or ads on our Sites or other websites. You may continue to receive advertisements, for example, based on the particular website that you are viewing. Also, if your browsers are configured to reject cookies when you visit this opt-out page, or you subsequently erase your cookies, use a different computer or change web browsers, your opt-out may no longer be effective.

More information about cookies

Information About Cookies
Useful information about cookies can be found at:
http://www.allaboutcookies.org

Behavioral Advertising
A guide to behavioral advertising and online privacy has been produced by the internet advertising industry which can be found at: 
http://www.youronlinechoices.eu
www.aboutads.info

International Chamber of Commerce United Kingdom
Information on the ICC (UK) UK cookie guide can be found on the ICC website section: 
http://www.international-chamber.co.uk/our-expertise/digitaleconomy