Our Cookie Policy
Understanding Our Use of Cookies
At Irish Chronicle, we are committed to transparency and providing you with the best possible experience when you visit our website. Like most websites, we use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, understand how our site is used, and for marketing purposes. This policy explains what cookies are, why we use them, and how you can manage your preferences.
What are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site. These files allow the website to remember information about your browsing actions and preferences (such as login details and language) over a period of time, so you don't have to re-enter them each time you return to the site or browse from one page to another. They can also be used to track your activity across different websites.
Why Do We Use Cookies?
We use cookies for several reasons:
- To make our website function: Certain cookies are essential for the basic operation of our website. They allow you to navigate our site and use its features, such as accessing secure areas.
- To improve your experience: We use cookies to remember your preferences and settings, such as your preferred language or font size, so you don't have to set them up every time you visit. This helps us personalize your experience.
- To understand how you use our site: Analytical cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website. They collect information about which pages are most popular, how visitors move around the site, and if they encounter any errors. This data helps us improve the structure and content of our website.
- To serve you more relevant content and advertisements: Marketing cookies are used to deliver advertisements that are more relevant to your interests. They help us measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns and show you content that is more likely to be of interest to you.
Types of Cookies We Use
We categorise the cookies we use into the following types:
Essential Cookies
These cookies are strictly necessary for the website to function correctly. They enable core functionalities such as page navigation, security, and accessibility. Without these cookies, the services you have asked for cannot be provided.
- Session Cookies: These are temporary and are erased when you close your browser. They are used to maintain your login session and track your movement through the site during a single visit.
- Persistent Cookies: These remain on your device for a set period of time specified in the cookie or until you delete them manually. They are used to remember your preferences for future visits.
Analytical/Performance Cookies
These cookies collect information about how visitors use our website. They help us to improve the way our website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily. All data collected is anonymised and used for statistical purposes only.
- We use tools like Google Analytics to understand website traffic and user behaviour. These cookies collect anonymised data about your visit, such as the number of visitors, where they came from, and which pages they viewed.
Marketing/Advertising Cookies
These cookies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to you. They perform functions like preventing the same ad from constantly reappearing to you, ensuring that ads are properly displayed, and in some cases selecting advertisements that are based on your interests. They are typically placed by advertising networks with our permission.
- These cookies may track your browsing habits across multiple websites and can be used to build a profile of your interests to show you relevant advertisements on this website and others.
Your Cookie Choices and Preferences
We respect your right to privacy. You have control over the cookies placed on your device. You can manage your cookie preferences at any time through your browser settings.
How to Manage Cookies in Your Browser
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically find these settings in the 'options' or 'preferences' menu of your browser. Here's a general guide:
- Block all cookies: You can set your browser to refuse all cookies or to alert you when a cookie is being sent.
- Delete cookies: You can delete existing cookies from your browser at any time.
- Manage cookies for specific sites: Many browsers allow you to set preferences for cookies on a site-by-site basis.
Please note that if you choose to block or delete cookies, some features of our website may not function correctly, and your experience may be less personalised.
For more detailed instructions, please refer to your browser's help documentation:
Third-Party Cookies
We use services from third parties (e.g., analytics providers, advertisers). These third parties may also use cookies on our behalf. You can manage your preferences regarding these third-party cookies through their respective privacy policies and opt-out mechanisms. For example, for Google Analytics, you can opt-out by downloading and installing the browser add-on available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
Implications of Disabling Cookies
Disabling cookies can affect your experience on our website and other websites you visit. While you will still be able to browse our site, some functionalities may be limited. For instance:
- You may need to re-enter your login details each time you visit if session cookies are disabled.
- Personalised settings, such as language preferences or theme choices, might not be remembered.
- You may see more generic advertisements rather than those tailored to your interests.
- Analytical data will not be collected, making it harder for us to understand how to improve the website based on user behaviour.
We strive to ensure that even with cookies disabled, you can access and read our news content. However, for the full, personalised experience that Irish Chronicle aims to provide, we recommend allowing cookies, particularly for essential and functional purposes.
ePrivacy Regulations and Your Rights
We adhere to the ePrivacy Directive and relevant data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This means we obtain your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
For more information on your rights regarding your personal data, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
At Irish Chronicle, we are dedicated to ethical journalism and maintaining your trust. We believe in being upfront about how we use technology to enhance your experience and will continue to review and update our practices to ensure they are both effective and privacy-respecting.