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:
- Ofcom: https://www.ofcom.org.uk
- Workday: Please see separate workday cookies policy
- Small Screen: Big Debate: https://www.smallscreenbigdebate.co.uk
- The Office of the Telecommunications Adjudicator: http://www.offta.org.uk
- The Office of the Adjudicator – Broadcast Transmission Services: http://ota-bts.org.uk/*
- The Office of the Adjudicator – Contracts Rights Renewal (CRR): http://www.adjudicator-crr.org.uk/*
- Ofcom mobile and broadband checker: https://checker.ofcom.org.uk*
- Ofcom online licensing services: https://ofcom.force.com/licensingcomlogin*
- OPIR, SPECTRAsc, Payments, and Business radio management portal: secure.ofcom.org.uk*
- Number management system: https://ofcom.force.com/NMS_LoginPage*
- PMSE: https://pmse.ofcom.org.uk/Pmse/Ecom/LoginPage.aspx*
- Various legacy subsites beginning https://static.ofcom.org.uk/*
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:
- Ofcom: https://www.ofcom.org.uk
- Ofcom mobile and broadband checker: https://checker.ofcom.org.uk
- Small Screen: Big Debate: https://www.smallscreenbigdebate.co.uk
- The Office of the Telecommunications Adjudicator: http://www.offta.org.uk
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.