cookie policy

By using our websites with your browser settings adjusted to accept cookies you consent to our use of cookies and other tools to provide the products and services available on those sites. If you would like to modify your browser to notify you when you receive a new cookie or to disable cookies altogether, please refer to Managing Cookies below.

Cookies and how we use them

Cookies are small text files that may be placed on your web browser when you visit our websites or when you view advertisements we have placed on other websites. Cookies allow your browser to remember some specific information which the web server can later retrieve and use. We do not use cookies to store any personal information that could be read or understood by others. When you quit your browser, some cookies are stored in your computer’s memory, while some expire or disappear.

Cookies are used primarily for administrative purposes, to improve your experience with our websites. Examples of this would include the use of cookies:

• To improve site security by “authenticating” you (which is to      verify that you are who you say you are) when you sign in to our site.
• To keep track of your specified preferences such as language, time      zone and timeouts after periods of inactivity.
• To allow you to navigate our sites more easily by “remembering”      your identity so that you do not have to input your password multiple      times as you move between pages or services.

In addition to administrative uses, we may also use cookies in one or more of the following ways, depending on the website you are using:

• To conduct research and analytics to improve our websites and our      products and services. This includes compiling statistical information      concerning, among other things, the frequency of your use of our websites,      the pages visited and the length of each visit.
• To display advertisements when you visit websites of third parties      with whom we have marketing relationships and to help us gauge the      effectiveness of our advertising efforts. These parties may gather      information concerning your use of other websites and provide us with      de-identified information about you (such as demographic information or      the names of sites where you have been shown ads) which we may use to      provide you with more relevant and useful advertising.

For more information on how we collect and use information that is identifiable to you, please refer to our Data Protection Policy.

Managing cookies

The Help menu on the menu bar of most browsers will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie and how to disable cookies altogether. Additionally, you can disable or delete similar data used by browser add-ons, such as Flash cookies, by changing the add-on’s settings or visiting the website of its manufacturer. Some of our sites employ “functionality cookies” that help the site remember your settings and preferences for use when you visit the site in the future. 

This provides a more tailored and pleasant user experience. These cookies store information in multiple places. On those site using functionality cookies, you will find a “Delete Cookies” feature on every page that will allow you to delete these cookies completely from your device. 

Please note that, if you decline to use cookies, you may experience reduced functionality and, for sites using authentication-related cookies, declining cookies will prevent you from using the website altogether. 

To learn more about what cookies are set on your computer as you browse the web and how to manage or delete them, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.