Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer by websites that you visit. They are widely used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site. The below names the cookies we use and why.

PHPSESSID

Cookie generated by applications based on the PHP language.  This is a general purpose identifier used to maintain user session variables. It is normally a random generated number, how it is used can be specific to the site, but a good example is maintaining a logged-in status for a user between pages.

_ga

This cookie name is associated with Google Universal Analytics – which is a significant update to Google’s more commonly used analytics service. This cookie is used to distinguish unique users by assigning a randomly generated number as a client identifier. It is included in each page request in a site and used to calculate visitor, session and campaign data for the sites analytics reports.  By default it is set to expire after 2 years, although this is customisable by website owners.

_gat

This cookie name is associated with Google Universal Analytics, according to documentation it is used to throttle the request rate – limiting the collection of data on high traffic sites. It expires after 10 minutes.

_gid

This cookie name is associated with Google Universal Analytics. This appears to be a new cookie and as of Spring 2017 no information is available from Google.  It appears to store and update a unique value for each page visited.

__qca

This domain is owned by Issuu. The main business activity is: Digital Publishing Platform

iutk

This domain is owned by Issuu. The main business activity is: Digital Publishing Platform

datr

This domain is owned by Facebook, which is the world’s largest social networking service.  As a third party host provider, it mostly collects data on the interests of users via widgets such as the ‘Like’ button found on many websites. This cookie identifies the browser connecting to Facebook. It is not directly tied to individual Facebook the user. Facebook reports that it is used to help with security and suspicious login activity, especially around detection of bots trying to access the service.  Facebook also say the behavioural profile associated with each datr cookie is deleted after 10 days. This cookie is also read via Like and other Facebook buttons and tags placed on many different websites

SID

YouTube is a Google owned platform for hosting and sharing videos. YouTube collects user data through videos embedded in websites, which is aggregated with profile data from other Google services in order to display targeted advertising to web visitors across a broad range of their own and other websites. This cookie is used by Google in combination with HSID to verify a Google user account and most recent login time.

HSID

Used by Google in combination with SID to verify Google user account and most recent login time

fr

This domain is owned by Facebook, which is the world’s largest social networking service.  As a third party host provider, it mostly collects data on the interests of users via widgets such as the ‘Like’ button found on many websites.  Contains browser and user unique ID combinaton, used for targeted advertising

Linkedin

•  Lidc
• Bcookie
• __utma
• __utmv
• __qca
• visit

This domain is owned by LinkedIn, the business networking platform. It typically acts as a third party host where website owners have placed one of its content sharing buttons in their pages, although its content and services can be embedded in other ways. Although such buttons add functionality to the website they are on, cookies are set regardless of whether or not the visitor has an active Linkedin profile, or agreed to their terms and conditions.  For this reason it is classified as a primarily tracking/targeting domain.

demographics

YouTube is a Google owned platform for hosting and sharing videos. Most likely used for demographic profiling and targeting for advertising

Google.com

• APISID
• SSID
• SID
• SAPISID
• HSID

This domain is owned by Google Inc. Although Google is primarily known as a search engine, the company provides a diverse range of products and services. Its main source of revenue however is advertising. Google tracks users extensively both through its own products and sites, and the numerous technologies embedded into many millions of websites around the world. It uses the data gathered from most of these services to profile the interests of web users and sell advertising space to organisations based on such interest profiles as well as aligning adverts to the content on the pages where its customer’s adverts appear.

lu

This domain is owned by Facebook. Used to manage the login process, remembers user on return visit if they choose to stay logged in.

VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE

This cookie is used as a unique identifier to track viewing of videos

Youtube.com

• APISID
• GPS
• SSID
• YSC
• SAPISID

YouTube is a Google owned platform for hosting and sharing videos. YouTube collects user data through videos embedded in websites, which is aggregated with profile data from other Google services in order to display targeted advertising to web visitors across a broad range of their own and other websites.

PREF

This is a common Google cookie, used across several of their services. Stores user preference and can be used to personalise ads on google searches

LOGIN_INFO

YouTube is a Google owned platform for hosting and sharing videos. YouTube collects user data through videos embedded in websites, which is aggregated with profile data from other Google services in order to display targeted advertising to web visitors across a broad range of their own and other websites.

id

This domain is owned by Doubleclick (Google). The main business activity is: Doubleclick is Googles real time bidding advertising exchange

mc

This domain is owned by Quantcast. The main business activity is: Market and Audience Segmentation, Targeted advertising services