Cookie Policy for nowakdevs.live

Last updated: 1st January 2025

This Cookie Policy explains how nowakdevs.live ("we", "us", or "our") uses cookies and similar tracking technologies when you visit our website at nowakdevs.live (the "Site"). It explains what these technologies are, why we use them, and your rights to control their use under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which provides further details on how we process your personal data.

What Are Cookies?
Legal Basis for Using Cookies (UK GDPR)
Types of Cookies We Use
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Functional Cookies
Analytics and Performance Cookies
Marketing and Targeting Cookies
Third-Party Cookies
Cookies We Set on Our Site
Cookies Set by Third Parties
How to Manage and Control Cookies
Consent Withdrawal
Your Rights Under UK GDPR
Data Retention Periods
International Transfers
Security of Cookie Data
Changes to This Cookie Policy
Contact Us
Complaints to the ICO
Cookie List

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, tablet, smartphone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, enhance user experience, and provide information to website owners. Cookies can be "first-party" (set by the website you are visiting) or "third-party" (set by a different domain). Each cookie typically contains a unique identifier, the name of the server that placed it, and sometimes an expiration date. Cookies do not normally contain personally identifiable information, but they may be linked to other data we hold about you.

2. Legal Basis for Using Cookies (UK GDPR)

Under UK GDPR and PECR, we require your consent for all cookies except those that are strictly necessary for the operation of our Site. Strictly necessary cookies do not require consent but must be clearly disclosed. For all other cookies (functional, analytics, marketing), we rely on your explicit, informed consent, which you give through our cookie consent banner. You can withdraw your consent at any time.

3. Types of Cookies We Use

We categorise cookies into four main types based on their function and necessity:

Strictly Necessary Cookies – essential for the Site to function (e.g., session management, security).
Functional Cookies – enhance your experience by remembering preferences (e.g., language, region).
Analytics/Performance Cookies – collect aggregated data on how visitors use the Site (e.g., pages visited, time spent).
Marketing/Targeting Cookies – track your browsing behaviour to deliver personalised ads and measure ad effectiveness.

We also distinguish between session cookies (which expire when you close your browser) and persistent cookies (which remain on your device for a set period or until deleted).

4. Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for you to navigate the Site and use its core features, such as accessing secure areas or maintaining session state. Without these cookies, services you have requested (e.g., logging in, filling in forms) cannot be provided. They do not require your consent but we must inform you of their presence. These cookies are typically session cookies and are deleted when you close your browser. Examples include cookies that remember your cookie consent preference itself, or those used for load balancing to ensure the Site remains responsive.

List of strictly necessary cookies used:

cookie_consent – stores your cookie consent preference (first-party, persistent, expires after 12 months).
PHPSESSID – standard PHP session cookie that maintains user session data (first-party, session cookie).
XSRF-TOKEN – security cookie to prevent cross-site request forgery (first-party, session cookie).

5. Functional Cookies

Functional cookies allow the Site to remember choices you make (such as your username, language, or region) and provide enhanced, more personal features. They may also be used to remember changes you have made to text size, fonts, and other customisable parts of the Site. These cookies do not track your activity on other websites. We use functional cookies only with your prior consent. If you do not consent, some features may not work as intended.

Examples of functional cookies:

language_preference – remembers your preferred language (e.g., en-GB) (first-party, persistent, 30 days).
theme_selection – stores your chosen display theme (light/dark mode) (first-party, persistent, 90 days).

6. Analytics and Performance Cookies

These cookies collect information about how visitors use our Site, such as which pages are most frequently visited, how users navigate between pages, and whether users encounter error messages. The data collected is aggregated and anonymised and is used solely to improve the performance and functionality of the Site. We use third-party analytics services (currently Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity) which set their own cookies on our behalf. These cookies require your explicit consent before being placed.

Analytics cookies we use:

_ga (Google Analytics) – used to distinguish unique users (persistent, 24 months).
_gid (Google Analytics) – used to distinguish users (persistent, 24 hours).
_gat (Google Analytics) – used to throttle request rate (persistent, 1 minute).
_clck (Microsoft Clarity) – persists the Clarity User ID and preferences (persistent, 12 months).
_clsk (Microsoft Clarity) – connects multiple page views into a single user session (persistent, 24 hours).

We anonymise IP addresses before processing analytics data, and we do not merge analytics data with any other information we hold about you.

7. Marketing and Targeting Cookies

Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user, and thereby more valuable for publishers and third-party advertisers. Targeting cookies help us measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns and limit the number of times you see an ad. We use these cookies only with your explicit consent. We currently use remarketing services from Google Ads and Facebook (Meta). These services may use cookies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant ads on other sites.

Marketing cookies used:

_fbp (Facebook) – used to deliver a series of advertisement products (persistent, 90 days).
ads_prefs (Google Ads) – stores your ad preferences (persistent, 24 months).
IDE (Google DoubleClick) – used for retargeting, optimisation, reporting and attribution of online ads (persistent, 13 months).

8. Third-Party Cookies

In addition to our own cookies, we may also use various third-party cookies to report usage statistics, deliver advertisements, and so on. These are cookies set by domains other than nowakdevs.live. For example, when you interact with embedded content from YouTube or Vimeo on our Site, these platforms may set their own cookies. We do not control these third-party cookies, and they are subject to the respective third-party's privacy policies. We encourage you to review the cookie policies of these third parties. Our cookie consent banner provides granular control over third-party cookies where possible.

9. Cookies We Set on Our Site

Below is a comprehensive list of first-party cookies set by nowakdevs.live. This list may be updated as we change our cookie usage.

Cookie Name	Purpose	Type	Duration
cookie_consent	Stores your cookie consent choice	Strictly Necessary	12 months
PHPSESSID	Maintains user session	Strictly Necessary	Session
XSRF-TOKEN	Security (CSRF protection)	Strictly Necessary	Session
language_preference	Remembers language selection	Functional	30 days
theme_selection	Remembers dark/light mode	Functional	90 days
_ga	Google Analytics user distinction	Analytics	24 months
_gid	Google Analytics user distinction	Analytics	24 hours
_gat	Google Analytics rate limiting	Analytics	1 minute

10. Cookies Set by Third Parties

Third-party services we use on the Site may set their own cookies. We list them here for transparency. Please note that these cookies are subject to change by the third-party providers.

Provider	Cookie Name(s)	Purpose	Duration
Google Analytics	_ga, _gid, _gat, _ga_XXXXXXXXXX	Analytics and performance	Various (1 min – 24 months)
Microsoft Clarity	_clck, _clsk, CLID	User behaviour analytics	1 day – 12 months
Facebook/Meta	_fbp, fr, tr	Targeting and advertising	Up to 90 days
Google Ads	IDE, ads_prefs, NID	Remarketing and ad measurement	Up to 24 months
YouTube (if embedded video)	VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE, YSC	Video preferences and analytics	Session – 6 months

11. How to Manage and Control Cookies

When you first visit our Site, a cookie consent banner appears asking you to accept or reject non-essential cookies. You can customise your preferences by clicking the "Cookies Settings" button available in the footer of any page. This will allow you to:

View which categories of cookies are active.
Enable or disable functional, analytics, and marketing cookies individually.
Withdraw consent at any time.

Additionally, most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can:

Delete all cookies from your browser.
Block third-party cookies.
Block all cookies (this may prevent the Site from functioning correctly).
Set your browser to notify you before a cookie is placed.

Below are links to instructions for common browsers:

Please note that if you disable cookies, some parts of our Site may become inaccessible or not function properly.

12. Consent Withdrawal

You have the right to withdraw your consent to the use of non-essential cookies at any time. To do so:

Click the "Cookie Settings" link in the footer of our Site.
Toggle off any cookie categories you wish to disable.
Click "Save Preferences".

Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal. After withdrawal, we will stop using the relevant cookies, though any data already collected may continue to be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy unless you request deletion.

13. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights concerning your personal data processed via cookies:

Right to be informed – we provide this Cookie Policy to inform you of our practices.
Right of access – you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you collected through cookies.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate data.
Right to erasure – you can ask us to delete personal data, including cookie data, subject to legal obligations.
Right to restrict processing – you can ask us to limit how we use your cookie data.
Right to data portability – you can request your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object – you can object to the processing of your data for analytics or marketing purposes.
Rights related to automated decision-making – we do not use cookies for automated profiling that would have legal effects on you.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 18. We will respond within one month, as required by UK GDPR.

14. Data Retention Periods

We retain cookie data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, after which it is deleted or anonymised. Retention periods for specific cookies are noted in the tables above. Generally:

Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser.
Persistent analytics cookies are retained for up to 24 months from your last visit.
Marketing cookies may be retained for up to 24 months, but you can delete them earlier via your browser settings.
Your cookie consent preference is stored for 12 months; after that, we will ask you again for consent.

15. International Transfers

Some of our third-party cookie providers (e.g., Google, Facebook, Microsoft) are based in the United States or other countries outside the UK. When these cookies are activated, data may be transferred to countries that the UK Government has determined may not provide an adequate level of data protection. We rely on appropriate safeguards for such transfers, including Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and the EU-US Data Privacy Framework where applicable. By consenting to the use of these cookies, you acknowledge that your data may be transferred to countries with different data protection laws. You can withdraw your consent to avoid these transfers.

16. Security of Cookie Data

We implement technical and organisational measures to protect cookie data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure, or access. These measures include encryption where appropriate, access controls, regular security audits, and contractual obligations on third-party processors. However, no method of online transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. We encourage you to use updated browsers and security software.

17. Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our cookie practices, legal requirements, or the technologies we use. When we make material changes, we will notify you by posting the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. If the changes require new consent, we will display our cookie consent banner again. We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed about how we use cookies.

18. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookie Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: privacy@nowakdevs.live
Postal address: Data Protection Officer, nowakdevs.live, 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 7946 0958

19. Complaints to the ICO

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe we have not complied with data protection law. The ICO is the UK's independent regulatory authority for data protection. You can contact the ICO at:

Website: https://ico.org.uk
Address: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Helpline: 0303 123 1113

We ask that you please attempt to resolve any issues with us first before contacting the ICO.

20. Cookie List (Complete Overview)

For convenience, we have compiled a full interactive list of all cookies used on the Site, including their purpose, expiry, and category. This list is dynamic and may be updated without notice. You can also view the live cookie list via our cookie consent management platform by clicking "Cookie Settings" in the footer.

Important: This Cookie Policy was drafted to comply with the UK GDPR, PECR, and guidance from the ICO. It represents our current cookie practices. If you have any questions about a specific cookie not listed here, please contact us.