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Cookie Policy - Northern Briefing

Cookie Policy for Northern Briefing

Last Updated: [Date]

This Cookie Policy explains how Northern Briefing ("we", "us", or "our") uses cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website, NorthernBriefing.com (the "Site"). This policy should be read in conjunction with our Privacy Policy.

By using our Site, you consent to the use of cookies as described in this policy. You can manage your cookie preferences at any time through our cookie consent tool or your browser settings.

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, smartphone, or other device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, provide reporting information, and to personalize your online experience.

Cookies can be "persistent" or "session" cookies. Persistent cookies remain on your device after you close your browser and are used to remember your preferences or actions across multiple visits. Session cookies are temporary and are deleted when you close your browser.

We also use other similar tracking technologies such as web beacons (also known as pixel tags or clear GIFs), local storage, and scripts. These technologies function similarly to cookies and allow us to store information, track user activity, and enhance site functionality.

2. Why We Use Cookies

We use cookies for several purposes, which are categorized as follows:

  • Essential Cookies: These are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off. They are usually only set in response to actions you take, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in, or filling in forms.
  • Performance/Analytics Cookies: These allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our Site. They help us know which pages are popular and how visitors move around the site.
  • Functional Cookies: These enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalization, such as remembering your language preference or region.
  • Targeting/Advertising Cookies: These may be set through our site by our advertising partners to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other sites.

3. Types of Cookies We Use

The table below details the specific cookies we use on NorthernBriefing.com.

Cookie Name Provider Purpose Category Duration
cookie_consent Northern Briefing Stores your cookie consent preferences. Essential 1 year
_ga Google Analytics Used to distinguish unique users and calculate visitor statistics. Performance 2 years
_gid Google Analytics Used to distinguish unique users for a 24-hour period. Performance 24 hours
_gat_gtag_UA_* Google Analytics Used to throttle request rate. Performance 1 minute
wordpress_test_cookie WordPress Tests that the browser accepts cookies. Essential Session
comment_author_* WordPress Remembers a commenter's name for future comments. Functional 1 year
NID Google Maps/Recaptcha Used for functionality like Google Maps and reCAPTCHA services. Functional 6 months
_fbp Meta (Facebook) Used by Facebook to deliver advertising products. Targeting 3 months
fr Meta (Facebook) Used by Facebook to deliver advertising products. Targeting 3 months

Note: This list is not exhaustive and may be updated periodically. Cookie durations are subject to change by the provider.

4. Third-Party Cookies

We allow certain third parties to place cookies on our Site to provide services such as analytics, advertising, and embedded content (e.g., videos, maps, social media feeds). These third parties have their own privacy and cookie policies.

Key Third-Party Services:

  • Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors engage with our Site. Google uses cookies to collect information and report site usage statistics without personally identifying individual visitors. You can learn more about Google's use of cookies and opt-out via the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
  • Social Media Platforms: Buttons or widgets from platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn may set cookies to enable sharing content and to track the effectiveness of their features.
  • Advertising Networks: We may work with advertising partners to serve ads on our behalf across the internet. They use cookies to collect information about your visits to our Site and other sites to provide targeted advertisements.

5. Your Choices and Controls

You have several options to control or limit how cookies are used on your device:

5.1. Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to manage cookie preferences through their settings. You can usually set your browser to refuse cookies, delete existing cookies, or alert you when a cookie is being set. The steps to do this vary from browser to browser. Please refer to your browser's "Help" menu for instructions.

Please note that blocking all cookies, especially essential cookies, may impact the functionality of our Site and your ability to use certain features.

5.2. Cookie Consent Tool

When you first visit our Site, you are presented with a cookie consent banner. Through this banner, you can accept all cookies, reject non-essential cookies, or customize your preferences by category (Essential, Performance, Functional, Targeting). You can revisit and change these settings at any time by clicking the "Cookie Preferences" link, typically found in the website footer.

5.3. Industry Opt-Out Programs

For targeted advertising cookies, you can opt out through the following industry services:

These opt-outs are often cookie-based, meaning if you clear your browser cookies, you may need to perform the opt-out again.

6. Data Transfers and International Visitors

Our Site is operated from within the United Kingdom. However, some of the third-party service providers we use (like Google and Meta) are based in the United States and other countries outside the UK and European Economic Area (EEA).

When your data is processed by these providers, it may involve a transfer of data to countries that may not have data protection laws equivalent to those in your home country. We rely on appropriate safeguards for such transfers, such as the UK's International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) or the EU's Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), as applicable.

7. Data Retention

Cookie data is retained for different periods depending on the cookie's purpose, as indicated in the table in Section 3. Persistent cookies will remain on your device until their expiry date or until you delete them via your browser settings. Session cookies are deleted at the end of your browsing session.

8. Your Rights Under Data Protection Laws

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal data collected via cookies. These may include:

  • The right to access information about the personal data we hold.
  • The right to rectification of inaccurate data.
  • The right to erasure (the "right to be forgotten").
  • The right to restrict or object to processing.
  • The right to data portability.
  • The right to withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent).

To exercise these rights in relation to cookie data, you can use the controls described in Section 5. For other personal data, please contact us using the details in Section 10.

9. Policy Updates

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legislation, or our data practices. We will post the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this page periodically for the latest information on our use of cookies.

Material changes that affect your rights will be communicated more prominently, such as through a notice on our Site.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies, please contact us:

Northern Briefing
Email: privacy@northernbriefing.com
Postal Address: [Insert Registered Office Address]

For data protection matters, you may also contact our Data Protection Officer (DPO) at the above address or via dpo@northernbriefing.com.

11. Further Information

For more information about cookies and how to manage them, you can visit the following independent resources: