Cookie Notice

This notice describes how we use tracking technologies (such as cookies and some others which are non-cookie based, like web beacons) on our digital platforms, what visitor information is automatically collected, and how you can accept or refuse the tracking technologies we use.

Why do you use tracking technologies?

We use tracking technologies on our digital platforms:

• to make them work, or work more efficiently

• to provide our digital platforms with enhanced functionality

• to provide reporting information to understand how visitors use our digital platforms and interact with our communications

• to target our communication to you, and provide you with a personalized experience

What are cookies and web beacons?

Cookies are an example of a tracking technology. They are small text files that are placed on your computer when you visit a digital platform, which are then used as a means of identifying your computer for the purposes described below.

Cookies set by the owner of a digital platform are called “first party cookies”. Cookies set by other people are called “third party cookies”. Third party cookies enable the third party to provide features or functionality on or through the digital platform (like analytics, advertising and videos). The parties that set these third party cookies can recognize your device both when it visits our digital platform, and when it visits certain other digital platforms.

Web beacons are small graphic data (also known as ‘Pixel Tags’ or ‘Clear GIFs’), which can be included in our digital platforms and newsletters (including email) and are usually used in combination with cookies to identify your device or browser, and your online behavior.

Web beacons will in particular not be used in case you objected to the use of the relevant cookie. Some of our websites and Services such as e-mail updates may contain electronic images called “web beacons” (sometimes known as one pixel GIFs, clear GIFs or pixel tags). Web beacons allow us to count visitors who have viewed content on websites or pages. In e-mail messages and newsletters, web beacons allow us to count how many subscribers have read them. They also allow us to develop statistical information about the activities and features that most interest to you in order to provide more personalized content. We do not use web beacons to access your personal data without your consent.

What information do your tracking technologies collect? Can I control whether you use them?

We use tracking technologies to collect certain information about the devices that access (and therefore the visitors that use) our digital platforms. The table below shows the types of information, and how you can control whether the information is collected:

You can also control browser cookies through your browser's settings.

Do you serve targeted advertising?

Yes, we may serve targeted advertising to you using cookies and other tracking technology.

We work with a variety of advertising networks, advertising servers, and analytics companies ("Ad Partners") that use various tracking technologies (including cookies and web beacons) to collect data about you. This “Online Data” may include the following:

• web pages, apps, products and services you view and links you click on when using our websites and services as well as third-party websites;

• our e-mails that you view and links you click on within that e-mail;

• whether you view or click on ads that are shown to you;

• demographic or interest data, including general geographic location;

• offline purchase data that may be combined with Online Data to create a better profile regarding your interests or purchasing preferences; and

• search terms you enter when using certain search services.

We collect this Online Data so that we and our Ad Partners can deliver ads to you based on your interests (which are inferred based on the Online Data about you).

Using our Ad Partners, we may also display our ads on third party digital platforms. Sometimes, these ads are based on the content of the digital platforms on which they appear. Other times, they are generated when we or one of our Ad Partners matches the ad to your interests (which again is inferred based on the Online Data about you).

This is known as interest-based advertising. Our objective is to show you ads that will be of most interest to you. To do this, we and some of Ad Partners use tracking technologies (such as cookies and web beacons) to collect Online Data. Typically, Online Data is aggregated with other data to create segments, such as groups of users and certain general interest categories that our Ad Partners have inferred based on a variety of factors

In addition, we and our Ad Partners use this Online Data for a variety of other purposes, including (a) to report website traffic, statistics, advertisement data and other interaction with ads and the websites on which they are served, and (b) to measure the effectiveness of web-based and e-mail ads.

Do you use Google analytics or other website analytics tools?

This touchpoint uses Google Analytics, an analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses cookies to help the touchpoint analyze how users use the touchpoint. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the touchpoint (including your IP address) will be transmitted to Google in the USA. Next, no matter where the IP address originates from (Member States of the European Union, other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, or elsewhere) Google anonymizes the last octet of the IP address (for IPv4 addresses) or the last 80 bits (for IPv6 addresses) (a process known as “IP masking”). Google does this because we have activated its “anonymizeIP” system for all countries. Finally Google stores the anonymized data on servers in the USA. Google uses this information on our behalf for the purpose of evaluating your use of the touchpoint, compiling reports on website activity for us, and providing us with other services relating to touchpoint activity and internet usage. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data they hold.

As explained in the table above, you may prevent Google from collecting and using data (cookies and IP address) by downloading and installing the browser plug-in here.

Follow these links for further information concerning the terms and conditions of our use of Google analytics External reference, the information that Google provide on data privacy and security, and Google’s data privacy notice.