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What are cookies?
A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that is downloaded to your computer when you visit a website. Cookies are used by many websites and can do a number of things, e.g. remembering your preferences, recording what you have put in your shopping basket, and counting the number of people looking at a website.
The rules on cookies are covered by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR). PECR also covers the use of similar technologies for storing or accessing information, such as ‘Flash cookies’ and device fingerprinting.
The ICO is responsible for enforcing these rules.
How do the cookie regulations affect me?
You may come across information about cookies and similar technologies on websites and be given choices about how some cookies are used. This might include, for example, being asked to agree to a cookie being used for a particular service, such as remembering your preferences on a site.
Organisations have to provide clear and comprehensive information about the way they use cookies, and ensure that for any cookie not strictly necessary for their website, they give you an appropriate means of consenting to that cookie being set on your device.
How can I control my cookies?
Browser controls
You can use your web browser to:
- delete all cookies;
- block all cookies;
- allow all cookies;
- block ‘third-party’ cookies (i.e. cookies set by online services other than the one you are visiting);
- clear all cookies when you close the browser;
- open a ‘private browsing’ / ‘incognito’ session, which allows you to browse the web without recording your browsing history or storing local data such as cookies (you should, however, be aware of the limitations of this feature in a privacy context); and
- install add-ons and plugins that extend browser functionality.
Where to find information about controlling cookies
- Microsoft Edge cookies information
- Chrome cookies information
- Firefox cookies information
- Safari cookies information – mobile devices and desktops
- Opera cookies information
Useful information
- A number of websites provide detailed information on cookies, including AboutCookies.org and AllAboutCookies.org.
- The European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance website Your Online Choices allows you to install opt-out cookies across different advertising networks.
- Google has developed a browser add-on to allow users to opt-out of Google Analytics across all websites which use it. This is also available in the Chrome web store.
- Some browsers include a feature known as ‘Do Not Track’ or DNT. This allows you to indicate a preference that websites should not track you. However, whilst DNT is available in many browsers, websites are not required to recognise its request, so it may not always work. You can get help on how to use DNT in Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera.
- Internet Explorer has a feature called Tracking Protection Lists which allows you to import a list of websites you want to block.
- For more information on how private browsing works as well as its limitations, visit the support pages for your browser: Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari (mobile and desktop) and Opera.
Use of cookies by Trussell
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 table below explains the cookies we use and why.
Necessary cookies
This is a list of cookies that are necessary for our website’s functionality.
| Cookie name | Provider | Description | Type | Expiry |
| _GRECAPTCHA rd::a rc::b rc::c | google.com | This cookie is used to distinguish between humans and bots. This is beneficial for the website, in order to make valid reports on the use of their website. | HTTP | 179 days Persistent Session Session |
| CONSENT | youtube.com | Used to detect if the visitor has accepted the marketing category inb the cookie banner. This cookie is necessary for GDPR-compliance of the website. | HTTP | 5977 days |
| CookieConsent | trussell.org.uk | Stores the user’s cookie consent state for the current domain. | HTTP | 1 year |
| test_cookie | doubleclick.net | Used to check if the user’s browser supports cookies. | HTTP | 1 day |
Analytical cookies
Analytical cookies help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on its usage.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Description | Type | Expiry |
| _ga | trussell.org.uk | Registers a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website. | HTTP | 2 years |
| _gat | trussell.org.uk | Used by Google Analytics to throttle request rate. | HTTP | 1 day |
| _gid cookie | trussell.org.uk | User identifier | HTTP | 24 hours |
| History.store | trussell.org.uk | Contains a visitor ID – this is used to track visitors’ navigation and interaction on the website for internal website optimisation. | HTML | Session |
| vuid | vimeo.com | Collects data on the user’s visits to the website, such as which pages have been read. | HTTP | 2 years |
| _wt.user | Webtrends Optimize | Used by WTO to support improvements to user experience and AB testing. | HTTP | 90 days |
| _wt.control | Webtrends Optimize | Used by WTO to support improvements to user experience and AB testing. | HTTP | 90 days |
| _wt.conversion | Webtrends Optimize | Used by WTO to support improvements to user experience and AB testing. | HTTP | Session |
| _wt.mode | Webtrends Optimize | Used by WTO to support improvements to user experience and AB testing. | HTTP | Session |
| _wt.activeSplit | Webtrends Optimize | Used by WTO to support improvements to user experience and AB testing. | HTTP | Session |
| _hjSessionUser_{site_id} | Hotjar | Set when a user first lands on a page. Persists the Hotjar User ID which is unique to that site. Hotjar does not track users across different sites. Ensures data from subsequent visits to the same site are attributed to the same user ID. | Cookie JSON | 365 days |
| _hjFirstSeen | Hotjar | Identifies a new user’s first session. Used by Recording filters to identify new user sessions. | Cookie Boolean true/false data type | 30 minutes duration, extended on user activity |
| _hjHasCachedUserAttributes | Hotjar | Enables Hotjar to know whether the data set in _hjUserAttributes Local Storage item is up to date or not. | Cookie Boolean true/false data type | Session duration |
| _hjUserAttributesHash | Hotjar | Enables Hotjar to know when any User Attribute has changed and needs to be updated. | Cookie Content hash data type | 2 minutes duration, extended every 30 seconds |
| _hjUserAttributes | Hotjar | Stores User Attributes sent through the Hotjar Identify API | Local storage item Base64 encoded JSON data type | No explicit expiration |
| hjViewportId | Hotjar | Stores user viewport details such as size and dimensions | Session storage item UUID data type | Session duration |
| HjActiveViewportIds | Hotjar | Stores user active viewports IDs. Stores an expirationTimestamp that is used to validate active viewports on script initialization. | Local storage item JSON data type | |
| _hjSession_{site_id} | Hotjar | Holds current session data. Ensures subsequent requests in the session window are attributed to the same session. | JSON data type | 30 minutes duration, extended on user activity |
| _hjSessionTooLarge | Hotjar | Causes Hotjar to stop collecting data if a session becomes too large. Determined automatically by a signal from the server if the session size exceeds the limit. | Boolean true/false data type | 1h duration |
| _hjSessionResumed | Hotjar | Set when a session/recording is reconnected to Hotjar servers after a break in connection | Boolean true/false data type | Session duration |
| _hjCookieTest | Hotjar | Checks to see if the Hotjar Tracking Code can use cookies. If it can, a value of 1 is set. Deleted almost immediately after it is created | Boolean true/false data type | Under 100ms duration, cookie expiration time set to session duration |
| _hjLocalStorageTest | Hotjar | Checks if the Hotjar Tracking Code can use Local Storage. If it can, a value of 1 is set. Data stored in _hjLocalStorageTest has no expiration time, but it is deleted almost immediately after it is created. | Boolean true/false data type | Under 100ms duration |
| _hjSessionStorageTest | Hotjar | Checks if the Hotjar Tracking Code can use Session Storage. If it can, a value of 1 is set. Data stored in _hjSessionStorageTest has no expiration time, but it is deleted almost immediately after it is created. | Boolean true/false data type | Under 100ms duration |
| _hjIncludedInPageviewSample | Hotjar | Set to determine if a user is included in the data sampling defined by your site’s pageview limit. 2 minutes duration, extended every 30 seconds. | Boolean true/false data type | 2 minutes duration, extended every 30 seconds |
| _hjIncludedInSessionSample_{site_id} | Hotjar | Set to determine if a user is included in the data sampling defined by your site’s daily session limit. | Boolean true/false data type | 2 minutes duration, extended every 30 seconds |
| _hjAbsoluteSessionInProgress | Hotjar | Used to detect the first pageview session of a user | Boolean true/false data type | 30 minutes duration, extended on user activity |
| _hjTLDTest | Hotjar | We try to store the _hjTLDTest cookie for different URL substring alternatives until it fails. Enables us to try to determine the most generic cookie path to use, instead of page hostname. It means that cookies can be shared across subdomains (where applicable). After this check, the cookie is removed. | Boolean true/false data type | Session duration |
| _hjRecordingEnabled | Hotjar | Set when a Recording starts. Read when the Recording module is initialized to see if the user is already in a recording in a particular session. | Session storage item Boolean true/false data type | Session duration |
| _hjClosedSurveyInvites | Hotjar | Set when a user interacts with a Link Survey invitation modal. Ensures the same invite does not reappear if it has already been shown. | Cookie List of Survey IDs, URL encoded | 365 days duration |
| _hjDonePolls | Hotjar | Set when a user completes an on-site Survey. Ensures the same Survey does not reappear if it has already been filled in. | Cookie List of Survey IDs, URL encoded | 365 days duration |
| _hjMinimizedPolls | Hotjar | Set when a user minimizes an on-site Survey. Ensures that the Survey stays minimized when the user navigates through your site. | Cookie List of Survey IDs, URL encoded | 365 days duration |
| _hjShownFeedbackMessage | Hotjar | Set when a user minimizes or completes a Feedback widget. Ensures the Feedback widget will load as minimized if the user navigates to another page where it is set to show. | Cookie Boolean true/false data type | One day duration |
Marketing cookies
Marketing cookies help us to measure the success of our advertisements and target them at people who may be interested in supporting our work.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Description | Type | Expiry |
| _fbp | trussell.org.uk | Used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products such as real time bidding from third party advertisers. | HTTP | 3 months |
| _gcl_au | trussell.org.uk | Used by Google AdSense for experimenting with advertisement efficiency across websites using their services. | HTTP | 3 months |
| ads/ga-audiences | google.com | Used by Google AdWords to re-engage visitors that are likely to convert to customers based on the visitors online behaviour across websites. | Pixel | Session |
| fr tr | facebook.com | Used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products such as real time bidding from third party advertisers. | HTTP Pixel | 3 months Session |
| IDE | doubleclick.net | Used by Google DoubleClick to register and report the website user’s actions after viewing or clicking one of the advertiser’s ads with the purpose of measuring the efficacy of an ad and to present targeted ads to the user. | HTTP | 1 year |
| VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE | youtube.com | Tries to estimate the user’s bandwidth on pages with integrated YouTube videos. | HTTP | 179 days |
| WIDGET::local::assignments | soundcloud.com | Used by audio-platform SoundCloud to implement, measure and improve their embedded content/service on the website – the collection of data also includes visitors’ interaction with embedded content/service. This can be used for statistics or marketing purposes. | HTML | Persistent |
| YSC yt.innertube::nextId yt.innertube::requests | youtube.com | Registers a unique ID to keep statistics of what videos from YouTube the user has seen. | HTTP HTML HTML | Session Persistent Persistent |
| yt-remote-cast-available yt-remote-cast-installed yt-remote-connected-devices yt-remote-device-id yt-remote-fast-check-period yt-remote-session-app yt-remote-session-name | youtube.com | Stores the user’s video player preferences using embedded YouTube video. | HTML | Session Session Persistent Persistent Persistent Session Session Session |
| __adal_ca | Adalyser | Stores which advertising campaign drove a user to visit, stores traffic source and campaign data. | HTML | Persistent |
| __adal_cw | Adalyser | Ties back conversion events to earlier visits, stores a visit timestamp. | HTML | Persistent |
| __adal_id | Adalyser | Uniquely identify a device, stores a generated Device ID. | HTML | Persistent |
| __adal_ses | Adalyser | Determines whether there is an active session and which conversions have taken place in this session to prevent duplicates, stores a list of events in this session. | HTML | Session |