Cookie Notice

Cookie Notice

Last updated: 19 August 2021

This Cookie Notice explains how Optica and the Optica Foundation (collectively “Optica”, "we", "us", and "ours") use cookies and similar technologies to recognize you when you visit our websites ("Website"). It explains what these technologies are and why we use them, as well as how you can control them.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files that web servers typically send to a user’s computer when they visit a website. Cookies are stored as text files on the user’s hard drive, and can be accessed by web servers when the user visits a website or views an advertisement. A session cookie is a cookie that stores information as a user is using the site but is deleted once the browser session is finished. A persistent cookie is a cookie that stores information as a user uses the site and stores and uses that information in connection with future visits of the user to the site. Third-party cookies and/or web beacons are cookies or web beacons provided by our technology and/or advertising partners. Any third-party cookie or web beacon that we authorize for use on the site only collects that information described below for the same stated purposes as if we were directly collecting the information. For a third-party cookie or web beacon, the third-party will have access to the collected information in order to provide us with information or services to enhance the performance and functionality of the site. We have not authorized the third-party to use the information for any other purpose.

Why do we use cookies?

The cookies and web beacons we use collect information about users of the site, including: IP address, browser used to access the site, date and time, the URL of the page being loaded, users who have visited a particular website(s), any previously assigned cookie identification (a unique identifier assigned to a user to identify repeat visitors), browser window size, the geographic location of the user, and the device and operating system used to access the site. The information we collect from these cookies and web beacons is used to determine information about a user’s visit to our site, including the number of visits, average time spent, pages viewed, navigation history through the website, and other statistics. This information is used to enhance the user’s experience while visiting our site and to improve the performance of our site by, among other things, allowing us to monitor site performance, make the site easier to use, measure the effectiveness of promotional placements, and tailor the site (including the ads and offers a user receives) to better match a user’s interests and preferences. The specific types of cookies served through our Websites and the purposes they perform are described below (please note that the specific cookies served may vary depending on the specific Website you visit):

• Essential website cookies: These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our Websites and to use some of its features, such as access to secure areas
• Performance and functionality cookies: These cookies are used to enhance the performance and functionality of our Websites but are non-essential to their use. However, without these cookies, certain functionality (like videos and article downloading) may become unavailable.
• Analytics and customization cookies: These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our Websites are being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our Websites for you.
• Advertising cookies: These cookies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to you. They perform functions like preventing the same ad from continuously reappearing, ensuring that ads are properly displayed for advertisers, and in some cases selecting advertisements that are based on your interests.
• Social networking cookies: These cookies are used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on our Websites through third party social networking and other websites.  These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes too.

What about other tracking technologies, like web beacons?

Cookies are not the only way to recognise or track visitors to a website.  As explained above we use other, similar technologies from time to time, like web beacons (sometimes called "tracking pixels" or "clear gifs").  These are tiny graphics files that contain a unique identifier that enables us to recognise when someone has visited our Websites [or opened an e-mail that we have sent them].  This allows us, for example, to monitor the traffic patterns of users from one page within our Websites to another, to deliver or communicate with cookies, to understand whether you have come to our Websites from an online advertisement displayed on a third-party website, to improve site performance, and to measure the success of e-mail marketing campaigns.  In many instances, these technologies are reliant on cookies to function properly, and so declining cookies will impair their functioning.

Do you use Flash cookies or Local Shared Objects?

Our Websites may also use so-called "Flash Cookies" (also known as Local Shared Objects or "LSOs") to, among other things, collect and store information about your use of our services, fraud prevention and for other site operations.

If you do not want Flash Cookies stored on your computer, you can adjust the settings of your Flash player to block Flash Cookies storage using the tools contained in the Website Storage Settings Panel. You can also control Flash Cookies by going to the Global Storage Settings Panel and following the instructions (which may include instructions that explain, for example, how to delete existing Flash Cookies (referred to as "information" on the Macromedia site), how to prevent Flash LSOs from being placed on your computer without your being asked, and (for Flash Player 8 and later) how to block Flash Cookies that are not being delivered by the operator of the page you are on at the time).

Please note that setting the Flash Player to restrict or limit acceptance of Flash Cookies may reduce or impede the functionality of some Flash applications, including, potentially, Flash applications used in connection with our services or online content.

Do you serve targeted advertising?

Third parties may serve cookies on your computer or mobile device to serve advertising through our Websites. These companies may use information about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide relevant advertisements about goods and services that you may be interested in. They may also employ technology that is used to measure the effectiveness of advertisements. This can be accomplished by them using cookies or web beacons to collect information about your visits to this and other sites in order to provide relevant advertisements about goods and services of potential interest to you. The information collected through this process does not enable us or them to identify your name, contact details or other personally identifying details unless you choose to provide these.

Use of Google Universal Analytics

Optica uses “Google Analytics”, including its “Universal Analytics,” to collect information about use of this site. Google Analytics collects information such as how often users visit this site, what pages they visit when they do so, and what other sites they used prior to coming to this site. Optica uses the information it gets from Google Analytics only to improve this site. Google Analytics collects only the IP address assigned to you on the date you visit this site. In accordance with the Google Analytics Terms of Use (as amended for government websites), Optica does not combine the information collected through the use of Google Analytics. Although Google Analytics plants a permanent cookie on your web browser to identify you as a unique user the next time you visit this site, the cookie cannot be used by anyone but Google. Google’s ability to use and share information collected by Google Analytics about your visits to this site is restricted by the Google Analytics Terms of Use (as amended for government websites) and the Google Privacy Policy. You can prevent Google Analytics from recognizing you on return visits to this site by disabling cookies on your browser.

Google Analytics uses cookies to define user sessions, which allows for the collection of data about how visitors are using the websites. Google Analytics uses only first-party cookies for data analysis. This means that the cookies are linked to a specific website domain, and Google Analytics will only use that cookie data for statistical analysis related to your browsing behavior on that specific website. According to Google, the data collected cannot be altered or retrieved by services from other domains.

If you choose, you can opt out by turning off cookies in the preferences settings in your web browser. For more information on Google Analytics or Universal Analytics, please visit Google Analytics.

Email tracking

Link tracking is used within HTML based emails to track which links have been clicked by the recipients. This tracking provides a means to measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

How can I control cookies?

You can set or adjust your web browser controls to accept or refuse cookies. If you choose to reject cookies, you may still use our website though your access to some functionality and areas of our website may be restricted. As the means by which you can refuse cookies through your web browser controls vary from browser-to-browser, you should visit your browser's help menu for more information.

In addition, most advertising networks offer you a way to opt out of targeted advertising.  If you would like to find out more information, please visit http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ or http://www.youronlinechoices.com.

How often will you update this Cookie Notice?

We may update this Cookie Notice from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to the cookies we use or for other operational, legal or regulatory reasons.  Please therefore re-visit this Cookie Notice regularly to stay informed about our use of cookies and related technologies. 

The date at the top of this Cookie Notice indicates when it was last updated. 

Where can I get further information?

If you have any questions about our use of cookies or other technologies, please email us at privacynotice@optica.org.