What is a cookie?

A cookie is a string of information that is sent by a website and stored on your hard drive or temporarily in your computer’s memory. It is designed to remember things that you have done on a website, such as the pages you have viewed or the links you have clicked on. Cookies may be set by the website you are visiting (‘first party cookies’) or they may be set by other websites who run content on the page you are viewing (‘third party cookies’).

Are there different categories of cookie?

The cookies used by our website, or that may be used in the future, are classified as follows:

An explanation of each category and the cookies that we use are detailed below.

Strictly necessary

Strictly necessary cookies are sometimes needed for you to move around a website and fully use its features, such as automatically signing in to protected areas.

The University of Essex Online website does not currently use strictly necessary cookies.

Performance

Performance cookies gather information on how you have used a website, such as the length of time you spent on a page or how you moved from one page to another. This information is collected anonymously.

The University of Essex Online website currently uses performance cookies.

Functionality

Functionality cookies record choices you have made and allow a website to tailor its content to you, for example by remembering your location preference. Functionality cookies may also take the form of Flash cookies, which are stored in your Adobe Flash Player rather than on your web browser.

The University of Essex Online website does not currently use functionality cookies

Targeting

Targeting cookies are used to work out what advertising might be most relevant to you, based on the areas you have looked at on a website and your IP address geo-location.

The University of Essex Online website currently uses targeting cookies.

Embedded Content

We may embed photos and video content from other sources such as Slideshare or YouTube. As a result, when you visit a page containing such content, you could be presented with cookies from these websites. University of Essex Online does not control the distribution of these cookies and you should check the relevant third party’s website for more information.

The University of Essex Online website currently uses embedded third party content.

What cookies do University of Essex Online use?

Performance

Crazy Egg. This is a tool offered by Crazy Egg that generates statistics about visitors to a website. We use Crazy Egg to understand how our site is being used in order to improve the user experience. All data is collected anonymously.

Google Analytics. This is a free tool offered by Google that generates statistics about visitors to a website. We use Google Analytics to understand how our site is being used in order to improve the user experience. All data is collected anonymously.

Targeting

Google Doubleclick. The DoubleClick cookie is used by Google on AdSense sites, partner sites and certain Google services to deliver ads that are relevant to you. We may use this cookie to serve ads specific to you based on how you have used our website. It does not track personal information such as your name or email address. You can opt-out of Doubleclick by visiting Google’s ad preference manager.

Google Remarketing Tag. This code generates statistics about visitors to a website. We may use this cookie to serve ads specific to you based on how you have used our website. It does not track personal information such as your name or email address.

Bing. This code generates statistics from your searches and other online activity associated with your Microsoft account to show you ads that are more personalised.

LinkedIn. This code generates statistics about visitors to a website. We may use this cookie to serve ads specific to you based on how you have used our website. It does not track personal information such as your name or email address.

Facebook and Instagram. This code generates statistics about visitors to a website. We may use this cookie to serve ads specific to you based on how you have used our website.

Dotdigital. This code allows us to collect identifiable data based on the browsing behaviour of our email subscribers. We may use this cookie to serve ads specific to you based on how you have used our website.

LiveChat. This code collects data to maintain the same LiveChat conversation with a website visitor across multiple pages.

Embedded content

Unistats Key Information Sets. This embedded content, found on our course pages, comes from Unistats, the official website for comparing UK higher education course data. Unistats draws together comparable information on those areas that students have identified as important in making decisions about what and where to study.

Managing cookies

By continuing to use this site we assume you are happy for with the way we use cookies. If you are not happy we would recommend using your browsers “Private Browsing” mode whilst viewing our site. This is called “Incognito” in Google Chrome, “InPrivate” in Internet Explorer and “Private Browsing” in Safari and Mozilla Firefox.

If you wish to find out more about cookies, or how to refuse cookies, please visit the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s website at www.allaboutcookies.org for further information.

Online privacy

You may also want to read our privacy policy, which explains how and when we use your personal data.