Cookies

What are Cookies?
Cookies and other online tracking technologies are small bits of data or code that are used to identify your devices when you use and interact with our websites and other services. They are often used for remembering your preferences, to identify popular news stories, to remember you’re logged in and allowing you to comment on stories.

Our legal bases for cookies and similar technologies
Placing cookies: in order to place cookies, tags and other technologies on your browser or device, we need to have your permission. We do this by providing a clear notice in the form of a cookie banner that tells you what cookies are used for, as well as providing you with useful information about the technologies we use and a link to this Policy. You’ll need to indicate your acceptance of our use of cookies. On a mobile device this might be by swiping a banner, pressing a button, or using facial recognition.

You are able to opt-out of the use of cookies. For more information, see the section on Managing Cookies.

Using information collected from cookies: where we want to use the information that cookies and similar technologies collect, we either need your consent or a legitimate interest. In practice it will not always be practical to get opt-in consent as doing so with cookie banners and pop-ups would disrupt your use and enjoyment of our sites and content. This is why we usually rely on our legitimate interests to use the data collected by cookies. To do this we conduct an assessment to make sure the purposes for which we use your data are fair and that your privacy rights are considered. We only rely on legitimate interests where your rights do not override our interests in using the data.

For more information about your rights in relation to legitimate interests, please see the section on Access & Control.

What Cookies Do We Use and Why?

Essential cookies and similar technologies
These are vital for the running of our services on our websites. Without the use of these cookies, parts of our websites would not function.

Analytics cookies and similar technologies
These collect information about your use of our website and enable us to improve the way it works. For example, analytics cookies show us which are the most frequently visited pages on The Sun or The Times websites allowing us to provide the most popular news articles further up the page. They help us record how you interact with our websites, such as how you navigate around pages and from page to page, identifying improvements we can make to the customer journey. They also help identify any difficulties you have accessing our services, so we can fix any problems. Additionally, these cookies allow us to see overall patterns of usage at an aggregated level.

Functional/preference cookies and similar technologies
These cookies collect information about your choices and preferences, and allow us to remember things like language, your username (so you can log in faster), text size, and location, so we can show you relevant content to where you are. They allow us to customise the services you have accessed. We also use these cookies to provide you with services such as video clips.

Web beacons and tracking pixels
These are bits of data that count the number of users who access a website or webpage and can also allow us to see if a cookie has been activated. Web beacons used on web pages or in emails allow us to see how successful an article has been, or whether an email message was successfully delivered and read in a marketing campaign. Web beacons are also used to verify any clicks through to links or advertisements contained in emails. We may use this information to help us identify which emails are more interesting to you and to inform advertisers how many customers have clicked on their adverts (the information shared with advertisers is aggregated and does not identify you individually).

Flash cookies
We may, in certain situations, use Adobe Flash Player to deliver special content, such as video clips or animation. To improve your user experience, Local Shared Objects (commonly known as Flash cookies) are used to provide functions such as remembering your settings and preferences. Flash cookies are stored on your device, but they are managed through an interface different from the one provided by your web browser.

Tracking URLs
Tracking URLs are a special web link that allows us to measure when a link is clicked on. They are used to help us measure the effectiveness of campaigns and advertising and the popularity of articles that are read.

Device fingerprinting
We may collect and analyse a device’s browser information to help identify that device, present content correctly, conduct analytics and help prevent and detect fraud.

If you access our services from a mobile device
We may collect a unique device identifier assigned to that device, geo-location data, and other transactional information for that device. We may also use the unique identifier to validate free trials, for example.

How We Use Cookies and Similar Technologies
As well as the uses already identified above, we use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Protect our networks - Cookies and similar technologies help us identify and prevent threats to our sites. They are necessary to protect your information and our business from outside threats.
• Allow you to access our services - Cookies and similar technologies permit your connection to our websites: our servers receive and record information about your computer, device, and browser, including potentially your IP address, browser type, other software or hardware information, and your geographic location.
• Assess usage of services - We use information about your usage of our services, websites and apps, such as pages you have visited, content you have viewed, search queries you have run, and advertisements you have seen or interacted with to assess how our services are used.
• Provide eCommerce functionality - Cookies and similar technologies help us provide functionality that you need to navigate our sites, select products and services and purchase them.
• Provide relevant content - The content on our websites and in our communications with you may be adjusted depending on what we know about the content, products and services that you like. This means we can highlight content and articles that we believe will be of interest to you. We provide personalisation by using cookies, IP addresses, web beacons, URL tracking and mobile app settings.
• Managing Cookies - Below you will find useful information about how to manage the use of cookies on our site. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]

Our partners
When you visit our websites, our partners will set cookies and similar technologies on your browser in order to help us make the sites work, analyse site usage, deliver adverts and personalise your experience. Where these partners are acting on our behalf, they are called data processors and must only act on our instructions. We will have a contract with them and they must protect your information properly. They’ll use your information in accordance with this Cookie Policy and you’ll be able to opt-out.

Where other partners are placing cookies and similar technologies for their own purposes, they are called data controllers and will use your information for their own purposes.

When you visit our sites you’ll see notices about the use of cookies by us and our partners. You’ll be able to learn more about the specific cookies in use and how to control them. By using our sites, you understand that cookies and similar technologies are used and acknowledge that by continuing to use the site, you consent to their placement.

In the future we plan to release improved controls to allow you to choose which partners can collect and use your information.

Most modern browsers are set to accept cookies by default, but you can change your settings to notify you when a cookie is being set or updated, or to block cookies altogether. Please consult the “Help” section of your browser.

Controlling OBA cookies
In addition to being able to control cookies by changing the settings in your browser on your computer, or in your mobile device’s settings, you can also control which companies can set cookies and similar technologies on your devices, by visiting the following links (you’ll need to turn any cookie or ad blockers off for the control pages to show which companies you can opt-out of):

• Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) Your Online Choices website provides more information about controlling cookies. It also provides an easy way to opt-out of behavioural advertising from each (or all) of the networks represented by the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance http://www.youronlinechoices.com/uk/your-ad-choices.
• The Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) control page allows you to control behavioural advertising from each of the ad networks represented by the NAI.
• The Digital Advertising Alliance’s self-regulatory program for online behavioural advertising control page allows you to control behavioural advertising from the ad networks it represents.
• The News Connect website provides more information, and an easy way to opt-out.

Importantly, these ad networks set cookies to remember that you have chosen to opt-out. If you clear your cache the opt-outs will not be applied and you would need to opt-out again.

Controlling Flash cookies
You can manage the use of Flash technologies with the Flash management tools available at Adobe’s website, at http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flashplayer/articles/privacy.html.

Controlling web beacons
You can prevent web beacons from tracking your activity, although you won’t be able to decline receiving them in emails. For information about managing your cookie options, please visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org/.
Please note that by blocking any or all cookies, you may not have access to certain features, content, or personalisation available on our websites.

Changes to This Policy
From time to time, we make changes to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. This may be in relation to changes in the law, best practice, changes in our services or treatment of your personal information. Where necessary, we will seek your consent to these changes. We will always display clearly when the privacy policy was last amended on the website.

Contact Us
In addition to any general data protection enquiries you may have, you can use these details to contact our Data Protection Officer.

By email:	[email protected]
By mail:	Sophie O’Donnell Ulster Orchestra 9 Gloucester St. Belfast BT1 4LS