This policy applies to web pages hosted by C4owners.org (or any other Related Domain Name ‘Parked’ and pointed at that site) which are targeted specifically by it at users in the United Kingdom. When we talk about C4owners or we in this policy we are talking about the web sites run and operated by C4owners. Other countries have different laws that apply to the collection and use of personal information. C4owners adhere to the rules and regulations for UK Data Protection.

Where services are delivered on the internet, this sometimes involves placing small amounts of information on your device, for example, computer or mobile phone. These include small files known as cookies.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer by websites that you visit. They are widely used to make websites work and to function more effectively. For example, they may be required to keep you logged in to a service, or to remember your user preferences or shopping cart contents. A cookie will typically contain a record of the web site which issued it, its own name, and a value which is often a randomly generated unique number.

A cookie will have a lifetime, which tells your browser when to delete it. Cookies can be set by the website domain itself, or by another domain, for example by Google Maps.

Cookie Types

Session cookie
A session cookie lasts only for the duration of the user’s website visit. A web browser normally deletes session cookies when it quits.

Persistent cookie
A persistent cookie will outlast user sessions. If a persistent cookie has its maximum age set to 1 year, then, within the year, the initial value set in that cookie would be sent back to the server every time the user visited the server. This could be used to record a piece of information such as how the user initially came to this website. For this reason persistent cookies are also called tracking cookies.

Secure cookie
A secure cookie is only used when a browser is visiting a server via HTTPS, ensuring that the cookie is always encrypted when transmitting from client to server.

First-party cookie
First-party cookies are cookies set with the same domain (or its subdomain) in the browser’s address bar.

Third-party cookie
Third-party cookies are cookies set with different domains from the one shown on the address bar (i.e. the web pages on that domain may feature content from a third-party domain - e.g. Google Maps or YouTube). Privacy setting options in most modern browsers allow you to block third-party tracking cookies.

The Law

The principal law which governs how websites use cookies and similar technologies when storing information on a user’s equipment, such as their computer or mobile device, is the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations. The regulations were amended on 26 May 2011.

Regulation 6 covers the use of electronic communications networks to store information (e.g. cookies) or to gain access to information stored in the terminal equipment of a subscriber or user. The change in the law was prompted by concerns about online tracking of individuals and is intended to protect the privacy of users by requiring their knowledge and agreement to the use of cookies, even where the information collected is not directly personally identifiable.

C4owners’s Cookie Policy is currently under review in light of the Information Commissioner’s Office guidelines .

Can I turn off cookies?

You can manually disable cookies on your computer, or delete existing cookies. You may also be able to view the cookies already in your system. This will depend on your browser. See the links below which tell you how to delete or disable cookies in each of the major browsers.

Internet Explorer 7 and 8

Internet Explorer 9

Firefox

Chrome

Safari

Please note that cookies are essential to the effective functioning of some of the services we offer online. If you disable cookies, a number of important functions and services will be unavailable to you and our websites may not operate correctly in your browser.

The links below detail the cookies used on all C4owners websites, including details of who sets each cookie, its purpose, when it expires, its level of intrusiveness, and, if relevant, how you can find out further information:

Our Cookie Policy

These pieces of information are used to improve services for you through, for example:

• enabling a service to recognise your device so you don’t have to give the same information several times during one task


• recognising that you may already have given a username and password so you don’t need to do it for every web page requested


• measuring how many people are using services, so they can be made easier to use and there’s enough capacity to ensure they are fast

You can manage these small files yourself and learn more about them through ‘Internet browser cookies - what they are and how to manage them’

Our use of cookies

Cookies to enhance your experience

We set a session cookie that allows us to maintain the state of your visit whilst viewing our web site. This may include a user preference or current progress in a series of steps. If you chose to turn off the use of cookies some parts of the web site will no longer function in the correct manner and so there are some cookies which cannot be turned off.

The site Cookies basically remember your personal ’Preferences’ and ’Time offset’ as the server the site is hosted on is in the USA so the site times are relevant to GMT

These are the php session ID and the Google Analytics ones detailed below. There are also some which are for the correct operation of the web site, these too are detailed below.

Name	Typical content	Expiry
PHPSESSID	randomly generated alphanumeric identifier	when user exits browser

Cookies for improving service

Google Analytics sets cookies to help us accurately estimate the number of visitors to the website and volumes of usage. This to ensure that the service is available when you want it and fast.

Name	Typical content	Expiry
_utma	randomly generated number	2 years
_utmb	randomly generated number	30 minutes
_utmc	randomly generated number	when user exits browser
_utmz	randomly generated number + info on how the site was reached (e.g. directly or via a link, organic search or paid search)	6 month

For further details on the cookies set by Google Analytics, please refer to the Google website


To view our Privacy Policy please read C4owners Privacy Policy