Cookies policy

Published: 10 March 2023
Last updated: 13 June 2024

Cookies are small files that are saved on your device when you visit a website. We explain below what cookies we use and why.

Strictly necessary cookies

These cookies make our websites work as they should. They do things like:

  • remember your selections or preferences so that you don’t have to set them again
  • help our servers cope with changes in site traffic
  • protect websites against attacks.

We use necessary cookies on the following domains:

You can restrict or block these cookies through your browser settings, but this may impact your experience of our websites.

Name

Purpose

Expiration

ARRAffinity

This cookie is set by websites run on the Azure cloud platform. It is used for load balancing to make sure the visitor page requests are routed to the same server in any browsing session.

When user closes browser

ARRAffinitySameSite

This cookie is set by websites run on the Azure cloud platform. It is used for load balancing to make sure the visitor page requests are routed to the same server in any browsing session.

When user closes browser

.AspNetCore.Antiforgery.xxxxxx

This cookie used by the Optimizely and protects the user against cross-site request forgery (CSRF).

When user closes browser

OpenIdConnect.nonce.xxxxxx

The OpenIdConnect.nonce.xxxxxx cookie is used to identify internal maker sessions when a site is in private mode. It also associates a client session with an ID token and mitigates replay attacks.

When user closes browser

.EPiForm_BID

This cookie is used when a visitor submits data to via an Optimizely form. This cookie allows us to identification of the form submission made to the site.

3 months

.EPiForm_VisitorIdentifier

This cookie is used when a visitor submits data to via an Optimizely form. This cookie allows us to identification of the form submission made to the site.

3 months

AEC

Google security cookie used to confirm visitor authenticity, protect visitor data and prevent fraudulent use of credentials

6  months

ai_session

This cookie supports the monitoring of the website's performance via Application Insights.

1 Year

ai_user

This cookie supports the monitoring of the website's performance via Application Insights.

1 Year

ToastPopupBlocked

This cookie is used to get the Toast consent and allow or block the Toast notifications in Ofcom website.

1 year

SiteWideAlertBanner

This cookie is used to set the dismissed status of Site wide alert in Ofcom website.

1 year

PageSpecCookie

This cookie is used to set the dismiss 30 days state of Page specific information banner in  Ofcom website.

1 year

CookieControl

This cookie remembers users’ cookies settings selections on this website, to prevent prompts to choose again when they return.

1 year

.Azure.Cookies

This cookie is used by Microsoft Azure to help direct your request to the correct server. This cookie is used as part of a defence against a malicious online attack wherein a hacker tricks an unsuspecting user into clicking on an unintended link.

1 year

BrowserId, BrowserId_sec

Salesforce cookies used for security protections.

1 year

CookieConsentPolicy

Salesforce cookie to  apply end-user cookie consent preferences set by our client-side utility.

1 year

LSKey-c$CookieConsentPolicy

Salesforce cookie to  apply cookie consent preference set by our client-side utility

1 year

__Secure-ENID, SID

Google security cookie used to confirm visitor authenticity, protect visitor data and prevent fraudulent use of credentials

1 year

EPi:NumberOfVisits

This cookie is only used when using the Visitor Group 'Number of Visits' criteria. It is used to store what the number of times you access pages on the site. It allows personalisation of content based on the frequency you have viewed content on the site.

1 Year

Analytics cookies

These cookies help us understand how people use the following websites:

This includes how many people visit a website, which pages they view and how they navigate through it. We use this information to make improvements. Anonymous data is used.

Name

Purpose

Expiration

hjIncludedInSessionSample

Hotjar cookie set to determine if a user is included in the data sampling defined by your site's daily session limit.

When user closes browser

_hjIncludedInPageviewSample

Hotjar cookie set to determine if a user is included in the data sampling defined by your site's pageview limit.

When user closes browser

_hjAbsoluteSessionInProgress

Hotjar cookie used to detect the first pageview session of a user.

When user closes browser

_hjFirstSeen

Hotjar cookie used by Recording filters to identify new user sessions.

When user closes browser

_dc_gtm_#

Google Tag Manager cookie used to analyse how users interact with the website.

1 day

_gid

Google Analytics cookie to distinguish users.

1 day

_gat

Google Analytics cookie used to throttle the speed of requests to the server.

1 day

AWSALBCORS

Siteimprove cookie that ensures all page views for the same visit (user session) are sent to the same endpoint.

7 days

_hjSession_#

Hotjar cookie to ensure subsequent requests in the session window are attributed to the same session.

1 year

nmstat

Siteimprove cookie used to collect statistics about site usage. Read more about how Siteimprove process personal data in their privacy notice.

1 year

ai_user

Microsoft cookie to collect statistical usage of Power BI data reports.

1 year

_ga

Google Analytics cookie to collect data on website traffic. Read a summary of Google Analytics’ data practices.

2 years (Chrome's maximum of 400 days and Safari's maximum of 7 days.)

SAPISID, APISID, HSID

Google Analytics cookie used for customisation.

2 years

Preference/Functional cookies

These cookies provide you with a more tailored experience based on your visit.

Name

Purpose

Expiration

EPiStateMarker

This cookie is functionality-related. Indicates how session-based information on the visit should be stored, using sessions or cookies.

Session

is

This cookie identifies a visitor's session. This cookie is used in conjunction with the iv cookie, and is erased when the visitor closes the browser.

Session

apt.sid

This cookie is used for Optimizely Telemetry data.

1 year

apt.uid

This cookie is used for Optimizely Telemetry data.

1 year

iv

This cookie tracks the anonymous visitor's actions across the the site  for Content recommendation keywords for specific user, that helps Content recommondation engine to track user journey. This helps us provide content recommendations based on the visit

Persistent

Third party cookies

These cookies support your visit on the website as well as the performance of our communications campaign activity on Google Ads. We use these cookies on Ofcom.org.uk.

Name

Purpose

Expiration

OGPC

Google cookie used for ads

When user closes browser

ysc

Youtube cookie to remember user input and associate a user’s actions.

When user closes browser

DV

Google cookie used to provide ad delivery or retargeting on Google ads

1 day

OTZ

Google ads used to link user website activities with other devices which have been logged in via Google account to better tailor ads

1 month

visitor_info1_live

Youtube cookie used to to provide bandwidth estimations.

1 month

device_info

Youtube cookie used to track user interaction with embeded content.

5 months

NID

The ‘NID’ cookie is used to show Google ads in Google services for signed-out users, while the ‘ANID’, ‘IDE’ and ‘id’ cookies are used to show Google ads on non-Google sites.

6 months

ajs_anonymous_id

JIRA cookie used to store last visits to a website

1 year

_fw_crm_v

This cookie holds the tracker id Freshworks use to identify the user who is coming back on to the chat widget for the embedded Freshworks form on the contact page​. It is required to enable the site to function. This cookie is provided by Freshworks. Please view their privacy statement here - https://www.freshworks.com/privacy/

1 year

SOCS

Google cookie used to store user preference and personalised ads

13 months

AID

Google cookie used to link user website activities with other devices which have been logged in via Google account to better tailor ads

2 years

__Secure-3PAPISID, __Secure-1PAPISID

Google cookie used to profile the interests of website visitors to serve relevant and personalised ads through retargeting.

2 years

__Secure-3PSID, __Secure-1PSID

Google targeting cookie used to personalised Google ads and user profile

2 years

APISID, SID

Google Ads Optimization cookie to collect visitor information for Youtube and Google maps

2 years

CONSENT

Google cookie used to store user preference and personalised ads

Persistent

How to control and delete cookies

You can update your cookies preferences for Ofcom.org.uk by clicking the cog icon in the bottom left corner of the screen.

You can block or remove cookies set by our other websites – see the full list of domains under ‘Necessary cookies’ above – through your browser settings. This guide tells you how to manage cookies on a range of browsers.

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