Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how BlockPlate uses them, which categories we deploy, and how you can manage or withdraw consent at any time. It should be read alongside our Privacy Policy.

What cookies are

A cookie is a small text file that a website places on your device when you visit it. Cookies are widely used to make websites work, to remember user preferences, and to gather information about how visitors interact with content. We also use a small number of similar technologies, such as local storage and tracking pixels, where they serve the same purpose; for simplicity we refer to all of these as “cookies” in this policy.

Cookies can be “first-party” — set by the site you are visiting — or “third-party”, set by a different domain whose service is loaded on the page. They can also be classified by lifetime: “session” cookies are deleted when you close the browser, while “persistent” cookies remain on your device for a defined period.

How we use cookies

BlockPlate uses cookies sparingly. Our purpose is editorial — we publish written guides — and we have no commercial reason to build advertising profiles. The cookies we set fall into three categories: strictly necessary, preference, and analytics.

Strictly necessary cookies

These cookies are required for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually set in response to actions you take, such as recording your cookie consent choice, allowing the page to load securely, or routing your request through our content delivery network. We rely on these cookies under the “strictly necessary” exemption in the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, which means they do not require prior consent.

Typical strictly necessary cookies include a consent record (storing your choice for the categories below), a security token used to mitigate cross-site request forgery, and a load-balancing identifier set by our hosting infrastructure. These cookies do not store information that personally identifies you for marketing purposes.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies remember non-essential choices you make on the site, such as a preferred reading mode if we offer one. They are not required for the site to work, but they make the experience smoother on return visits. We set preference cookies only if you choose to enable them, and you can withdraw that consent at any time.

Analytics cookies

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors use the site in aggregate — which articles are read, how readers arrive on the site, and where pages can be improved. We use a privacy-conscious analytics configuration that limits the data collected, anonymises the IP address before storage, and does not share data with advertising networks.

Analytics cookies are not strictly necessary, and we set them only after you have given consent through our cookie banner. You can withdraw that consent at any time by clearing site data in your browser or by re-opening the cookie controls if available on the site.

Cookies we do not use

We do not use advertising cookies. We do not run programmatic advertising, retargeting, behavioural-advertising profiles or social-media tracking pixels for marketing purposes. We do not sell visitor data to third parties for advertising or any other purpose.

Third-party services

A small number of third-party services are loaded on the site for technical reasons, such as a content delivery network for static assets and a webfont provider. These services may set their own cookies in line with their own policies. Where we use a third-party service, we choose providers that are appropriate for an editorial site aimed at UK readers and that operate within UK GDPR transfer rules.

Managing your consent

When you first visit the site, a cookie banner asks you to accept, reject or customise non-essential cookies. Strictly necessary cookies are always set; everything else depends on your choice.

You can change your decision at any time:

• Re-open the cookie controls on the website, where available, and update your preferences.
• Delete cookies for the site through your browser’s privacy settings; on most browsers this is done from a “site data” or “cookies and other site data” panel.
• Set your browser to block cookies in general, or to ask you each time a cookie is requested. Note that blocking strictly necessary cookies may break the site.

Browser vendors publish their own guidance on cookie controls. The Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK regulator for data protection, also publishes plain-language guidance for individuals on its website.

Lifetime of cookies

The lifetime of each cookie depends on its purpose. Session cookies are deleted as soon as you close the browser. Persistent cookies have an expiry date set by the cookie itself, ranging from a few minutes for security tokens to a number of months for consent records. Analytics cookies are configured with the shortest reasonable lifetime that still allows meaningful aggregate measurement.

Children

The website is intended for adults aged 18 or over. We do not knowingly place non-essential cookies on devices used by minors. If you believe a minor has used the site, please contact us so that we can take appropriate action.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use, in the services we rely on, or in UK law. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page shows the most recent revision. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

Contact

For questions about this Cookie Policy or about how we use cookies, please use the contact route published on BlockPlate.