Cookie usage on radhealthequity.org
Most websites you visit will use cookies in order to improve your user experience by enabling that website to ‘remember’ you, either for the duration of your visit (using a ‘session cookie’) or for repeat visits (using a ‘persistent cookie’).
Cookies do lots of different jobs, like letting you navigate between pages efficiently, storing your preferences, and generally improving your experience of a website. Cookies make the interaction between you and the website faster and easier. If a website doesn’t use cookies, it will think you are a new visitor every time you move to a new page on the site – for example, when you enter your login details and move to another page it won’t recognize you and it won’t be able to keep you logged in.
Types of cookies
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’). When you use our website, services, applications, messaging and tools, authorized service providers may collect information such as your IP address, geographical location, referral source, length of visit and pages viewed. We use this information to operate and improve your experience on our websites.
First party cookies
First party cookies are set by the website you are visiting and they can only be read by that site. The radhealthequity.org website uses the following first party cookies:
- Application session management: in order to ensure proper delivery of our content, we work on several servers; this cookie allows you to stay on the proper server to access the latest information.
- Cookie policy: this is a legal requirement to ensure you read and accept this cookie policy. This cookie is the only persistent one we place on your browser. It lasts 1 year, i.e., each year (or before if you clear your cookies) you will need to indicate again that you agree with this policy.
Third party cookies
Third party cookies are set by a different organization to the owner of the website you are visiting. For example, the website might use a third party analytics company who will set their own cookie to perform this service. The website you are visiting may also contain content embedded from, for example Crazy Egg and these sites may set their own cookies. The radhealthequity.org Website uses the following third party cookies:
- Google Analytics: this is used to allow us to identify the content that is most visited, how that content is visited, what the user journey is, etc. The data from this tool allows us to continuously improve your user journey and experience on our website.
- Social Sharing: this allows us to know if you shared our content on social media via the share buttons you find on the footer of the site. It does not allow us to in any way identify you or find your social media account but it tells us how many users shared each page.
- Website monitoring: this allows us to track how the website is performing for you (e.g., page loading times) and gives us these indications by geo-localization so that, if you are in a country where our website runs slower, we can be informed and take actions to improve this.
Session cookies
Session Cookies are stored only temporarily during a browsing session and are deleted from the user’s device when the browser is closed.
Persistent cookies
This type of cookie is saved on your computer for a fixed period (usually a year or longer) and is not deleted when the browser is closed. Persistent cookies are used where we need to know who you are for more than one browsing session.
What is in a cookie?
A cookie is a simple text file that is stored on your computer or mobile device by a website’s server and only that server will be able to retrieve or read the contents of that cookie. Each cookie is unique to your web browser. It will contain some anonymous information such as a unique identifier and the site name and some digits and numbers. It allows a website to remember things like your preferences or what’s in your shopping cart.
What to do if you don’t want cookies to be set
Some people find the idea of a website storing information on their computer or mobile device a bit intrusive, particularly when this information is stored and used by a third party without them knowing. Although this is generally quite harmless you may not, for example, want to see content that has been targeted to your interests. If you prefer, it is possible to block some or all cookies or even to delete cookies that have already been set; but you need to be aware that you might lose some functions of those website.
How can I control cookies?
If you don’t want to receive cookies, you can modify your browser so that it notifies you when cookies are sent to it or you can refuse cookies altogether. You can also delete cookies that have already been set.
If you wish to restrict or block web browser cookies which are set on your device then you can do this through your browser settings; the Help function within your browser should tell you how. Alternatively, you may wish to visit www.aboutcookies.org, which contains comprehensive information on how to do this on a wide variety of desktop browsers.
Our website does work without cookies, but you will lose some features and functionality if you choose to disable cookies. In particular, if you do choose to disable cookies, you will not be able to enjoy the full range of online services available through the My ACR area or any of the restricted content.