WE USE COOKIES TO GIVE YOU THE BEST VERSION OF OUR WEBSITES!

In the vast realm of the internet, cookies play a significant role in enhancing our browsing experience. These tiny bits of data are essential for website functionality and personalisation. In this blog post, we will explore the concept of cookies, what they are, and the different types of cookies that websites utilise to provide us with a seamless online experience. Cookies are an integral part of the modern web browsing experience, enabling websites to remember user preferences, enhance functionality, and deliver personalised content. Understanding the different types of cookies used by websites is crucial in safeguarding your privacy and ensuring a seamless online experience. As users, it is essential to stay informed about how cookies work and to make informed decisions regarding their acceptance and management.

WHAT IS A COOKIE?

1. Session Cookies:

Session cookies are temporary cookies that are created and stored only during your browsing session. They are essential for website functionality and enable you to navigate between pages smoothly. Session cookies do not collect any personal information and are deleted as soon as you close your browser.

2. Persistent Cookies:

Unlike session cookies, persistent cookies are stored on your device even after you close your browser. These cookies have an expiration date set by the website and remain on your device until that date or until you manually delete them. Persistent cookies are used to remember your preferences, such as language settings or login information, making it convenient for you to revisit the website without having to input the same information repeatedly.

3. First-Party Cookies:

First-party cookies are created and managed by the website you are visiting. These cookies are used to enhance your browsing experience, remember your preferences, and provide personalised content. For example, a first-party cookie may store your shopping cart items on an e-commerce website, allowing you to resume your shopping from where you left off.

4. Third-Party Cookies:

Third-party cookies are set by domains other than the website you are visiting. They are often used for advertising and tracking purposes. Third-party cookies enable advertisers to display targeted ads based on your browsing history and behavior across multiple websites. These cookies raise concerns about privacy and data security, leading to increased regulations and user consent requirements.

5. Secure Cookies:

Secure cookies, also known as HTTPS cookies or SSL cookies, are encrypted cookies that are sent over a secure connection. They are designed to protect sensitive information, such as login credentials or financial details, from unauthorised access. Secure cookies are commonly used on websites that handle sensitive data to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information exchanged between the user and the website.

6. Flash Cookies:

If you have Adobe Flash inserted on your computer (most computers do), tiny files might be kept on your computer by websites that hold Flash media, like video clips. These files are famous as Local Shared Objects (LSOs) or Flash cookies. They could be utilised for the same reasons as regular cookies (correctly known as HTTP cookies). Flash cookies could also back up the data that is kept in a regular cookie. When you delete cookies utilising your browser controls, your Flash cookies are not affected. So a website that gives a cookie to you might identify you on your next visit if it backed up its now-deleted cookie details to a Flash cookie. You could control Flash cookies. Adobe's website provides tools to control Flash cookies on your computer and people who use the Firefox browser could also get an add-on to notice and delete Flash cookies.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A COOKIE?

Cookies play a significant role in enhancing our online experience. From personalising website preferences to providing valuable data for analytics, cookies enable websites to deliver a more tailored and convenient user experience. However, it is essential for users to be aware of their rights and take control of their cookie settings to maintain privacy and security. As technology continues to evolve, understanding the purpose and impact of cookies empowers users to navigate the digital world with confidence and make informed decisions about their online interactions.

Enhancing user experience:

One of the primary purposes of cookies is to enhance the user experience. Websites use cookies to remember user preferences, such as language settings, font size, and layout preferences. By storing this information, websites can customise the user experience, making it more tailored and convenient. For example, if you visit an online shopping website and add items to your cart, cookies can remember these items, allowing you to continue shopping seamlessly without losing your selections.

Tracking and analytics:

Cookies also serve as valuable tools for tracking and analytics. Website owners can use cookies to collect data about how users interact with their site, including the pages visited, the duration of the visit, and the actions taken. This data enables website owners to gain insights into user behavior, identify trends, and make informed decisions to improve their site's performance. Additionally, cookies play a crucial role in targeted advertising, as they allow advertisers to deliver personalised ads based on users' browsing habits and interests.

Authentication and security:

Cookies are commonly used for authentication purposes, ensuring that users are securely logged in to their accounts. When you log in to a website, a cookie is created to verify your identity and maintain your session. This helps prevent unauthorised access and ensures a seamless user experience without the need to repeatedly enter login credentials. Additionally, cookies can be utilised for security purposes, flagging suspicious activities and protecting users from potential threats, such as phishing attacks.

Technical Cookies:

These cookies are strictly mandatory for the operation of our Website and are vital for browsing and support the use of various features. Without them, you cannot use the search function or other available services on our Website.

Social Cookies:

Social Cookies These cookies allow you to click like and share our Website content on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Content, Selection, Delivery, Reporting:

This includes using previously gathered information about your interests to select content, process data and figure out what content as shown, where it was shown and whether you took a likening to the content you saw.

AD Selection, Delivery, Reporting:

Includes using the data that was gathered to select ads that spark your interest, these ads will be specifically personalised concerning your preference and will measure any action you took related to the ad, for example- clicking the ad or making a purchase related to something that was presented in the ad. At Travel Center UK, we value the privacy rights of our visitors, and we strive to uphold the highest data administration standards and privacy practices. Remarketing is a way for us to connect with visitors who have previously visited our website, it allows us to strategically position our company's' website and advertisements. Your remarketing lists will be solely used for your paid search campaigns, not shared with any third parties or any other advertisers or partners, and not otherwise used by Travel Center UK for any purpose not described in this policy. Agreeing to enable remarketing means, you have been made aware of the individual end-user tracking and data sharing with third parties for legal purposes.

ARE COOKIES DANGEROUS?

No. Cookies are tiny sections of text. They are not computer programs, and they can't be executed as code. Also, they cannot be utilised to dispersed viruses, and current types of both Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape browsers permit users to place their own restrictions to the number of cookies saved on their hard drives

CAN COOKIES THREATEN USERS' PRIVACY

Cookies are kept on the computer's hard drive. They cannot enter the hard drive - so a cookie can't read other data saved on the hard drive, or get a user's e-mail address etc. They only hold and convey to the server as much data as the users themselves have revealed to a particular web site. A server cannot place a cookie for a section that it is not a member of. Despite this, users quite frequently find in their computer files cookies from sites that they have never viewed. These cookies are normally set by companies that market internet advertising for the benefit of other web sites. Consequently, it might be possible that users' data is passed to third party web sites without the users' awareness or agreement, such as data on surfing routines. This is the most famous reason for people refusing or been afraid cookies. Your Data. Your Choice, and that's why you also have the option of opting out of Interest-Based Advertising to ensure that your information does not get tracked.

HOW TO DELETE COOKIES

All current types of famous browsers offer users a standard of control over cookies. Users could assign their browsers to receive or decline all, or specific, cookies. Many browsers offer specific ad-blocking software, extensions or tools that will help you disable or block all existing cookies, iOS or Android users can also control how information is used for certain purposes such as advertising through your device settings. Users could also assign their browsers to block them every time a cookie is provided. If you have a different browser type, please get in touch with us. You could also control Adobe Local Shared Objects on your computer, also famous as LSOs or Flash cookies, but not with your browser. As an alternative, Adobe's website provides tools to control Flash cookies on your computer. Users of the Firefox browser could also get an add-on to notice and delete Flash cookies. Please also be mindful that we make every attempt to appreciate your selection, but there is the chance that not all cookies would be apprehended. You can find more information about how to control and restrict your exposure to online interest-based advertising and other cookies across the world wide web at http://optout.aboutads.info , NAI consumer opt-out page , and http://www.youronlinechoices.com/uk. You can use these services to opt-out of most of the interest-based advertising used by us as well as other websites.