Cookies usage policy
Please read carefully the following information:
In order to comply with the requirements set out in the EU Directive of May 26, 2012, and the provisions of Law no. 506 of 17 November 2004 on the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector, all website visitors are required to consent before receiving cookies to their computers.
This website uses its own cookies and third-party cookies to provide visitors with a much better browsing experience and services tailored to their needs and interests.
Cookies play an important role in facilitating the access and delivery of the many services that users enjoy on the Internet, such as:
Customize certain settings such as the language in which a site is viewed, accessing old preferences by clicking the ‘forward’ and ‘backward’ buttons.
Cookies provide site owners with valuable feedback on how their sites are used by users so they can make them even more effective and accessible to them.
Allow 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 “cookie browser” or “HTTP cookie” or simply “cookie”) is a small file comprised of letters and numbers that will be stored on your computer or other equipment used to access the Internet.
The cookie is installed through a web-server request to a browser (eg Internet Explorer, Chrome) and is completely “passive” (does not contain software, viruses or spyware and cannot access any information from the user’s hard drive).
A cookie consists of 2 parts: the name and the content or the cookie value. Furthermore, the duration of a cookie 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 in any way and, in most cases, do not personally identify internet users.
There are 2 large categories of cookies:
Session Cookies – they are temporarily stored in the web browser’s cookie folder so that the browser saves them until the user exits the site or closes the browser window (for example, when logging in / out of a webmail account or social network).
Persistent cookies – these are stored on the hard drive of a computer or equipment (and they depend on their default lifetime). Persistent cookies also include those placed on a site other than the one the user is currently visiting – known as ‘third party cookies’ – which can be used anonymously to store a user’s interests so as to deliver the most relevant ads.
What are the benefits of cookies?
A cookie contains information that links a web-browser (user) and a specific web-server (website). If a browser accesses that web-server again, it can read the already stored information and respond accordingly. Cookies provide users with a pleasant browsing experience and support the efforts of many websites to provide user-friendly services: ex-preferences on online privacy, site language options, shopping carts, or relevant advertising.
What is the lifetime of a cookie?
Cookies are managed by web servers. A cookie’s life may vary significantly, depending on the purpose for which it is placed. Some cookies are used only for one session (session cookies) and are no longer retained once the user has left the website and some cookies are retained and reused each time the user returns to that site (cookie- permanent). However, cookies can be deleted by a user at any time through the browser’s settings.
What are cookies placed by third parties?
Certain sections of content on some sites may be provided through third parties/vendors (eg news box, video or advertisement). These third parties may also place cookies through the site and they are called “third party cookies” because they are not placed by the owner of that website. Third-party vendors must also comply with the applicable law and privacy policies of the site owner.
How cookies are used by a site.
A visit to a website may place cookies for:
– increasing website performance;
– visitor analysis;
– geotargeting;
– user registration.
Performance cookies
This type of cookie retains the user’s preferences on this site, so they no longer need to be set at every site visit.
Examples: Volume settings for a video player, video streaming speed with which the used browser is compatible.
Cookies for visitor analysis
Every time a user visits a site, the analytics software provided by a third party generates a user analysis cookie. This cookie tells you if you’ve visited this site before. The browser will flag you if you have this cookie, and if not, one will be generated. It allows monitoring of unique users who visit the site and how often they do it.
As long as the visitor is not registered on the site, this cookie cannot be used to identify individuals, they are only used for statistical purposes. If registered, the details provided, such as the email address and the username, are also acknowledged – subject to confidentiality, in accordance with the legislation in effect on the protection of personal data.
Cookies for geotargeting
These cookies are used by software that determines your location. It is completely anonymous and is used only to target the content – even when the users visit the page in Romanian or in another language, they will receive the same advertisement.
Cookies for registration
When you sign up for a site, a cookie is generated that tells you if you are registered or not. Servers use these cookies to show the user if they are already a member or if you have permission for a particular service. It is also allowed to associate any comments posted on your site with your username. If you have not selected “keep me registered”, this cookie will be automatically deleted when you close your browser or computer.
Other cookies from third parties
On some pages, third parties can set their own anonymous cookies in order to track the success of an application or customize an application.
For example, when you share an article using the social network button on a site, that social network will track your activity.
What type of information is stored and accessed through cookies?
Cookies store information in a small text file that allows a website to recognize a browser. The web server will recognize your browser until the cookie expires or is deleted.
Cookie files store important information that can enhance your Internet browsing experience (for example the settings of the language in which you want to access a site, keeping a user logged in to your webmail account, online banking security, keeping your products in the shopping cart).
Why are Internet cookies important?
Cookies are the central focus of the Internet’s efficient operation, helping to generate a friendly browsing experience and tailored to the preferences and interests of each user.
Denying or disabling cookies can make some sites impossible to use. Examples of important uses of cookies (which do not require authentication of a user through an account): Content and services tailored to user preferences – news, weather, sports, maps, public and government services, entertainment sites and travel services. Offers tailored to users’ interests – password retention, language preferences (eg. display of search results in Romanian).
Retain child content filters for content on the Internet (family mode options, safe search functions). Measurement, optimization, and analytics features – such as confirming a certain level of traffic on a website, what kind of content is viewed, and how a user reaches a website (eg. search engines, directly from other websites). Websites run this type of analysis of their use in order to improve sites for the benefit of their users.
Security and privacy issues
Cookies are NOT Viruses! They use plain text formats. They are not made up of pieces of code, so they cannot be executed. Consequently, you cannot duplicate or replicate them on other networks to be reused. Because they cannot perform these functions, they cannot be considered viruses.
Cookies can nevertheless be used for negative purposes. Because it stores information about users’ preferences and browsing history, both on a particular site and on several 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 in anti-virus / anti-spyware removal/scanning procedures. In general, browsers have built-in privacy settings that provide different levels of cookie acceptance, auto-expiration, and automatic deletion after the user has visited a particular site.
Tips for safe and responsible cookie-based navigation.
Customize your cookie settings in your browser to reflect your security preferences. If you share your computer access, you can consider the browser setting to delete individual browsing data each time you close your browser. This is a way to access sites that place cookies and delete any visitor information when you close the browsing session. Install and constantly update your antispyware applications.
Many of the spyware detection and prevention applications include detection of site attacks. This prevents the browser from accessing websites that could exploit browser vulnerabilities or download dangerous software.
How do I stop cookies?
Disabling and refusing to receive cookies can make some sites unusable or difficult to visit.
It is possible to set the browser to disable these cookies or set the browser to accept cookies from a particular site. But, for example, if a visitor is not registered using cookies, he will not be able to leave comments. All modern browsers offer the ability to change cookie settings. These settings are usually found in the Options / Settings menu or in the Browser Preferences or Favorites menu.
To understand more about cookie settings, the following links might be useful:
Cookie settings in Internet Explorer
Cookie settings in Firefox
Cookie settings in Chrome
Cookie settings in Safari