This Cookies Policy explains how GuideMater Publishing Limited, GuideMater plc and their group companies ("GuideMater") use cookies and similar technologies. Whenever you use GuideMater's websites, apps, products, advertising services or other technologies ("Services"), or visit a website, app or service which uses our Services, information may be piled up by using cookies and similar technologies. GuideMater is committed to securing the personal information saved when you use our Services.

This Cookies Policy offers the following information for users:
1.What are cookies and similar technologies?
2.What are the different types of cookies?
3.What are cookies used for?
4.How does GuideMater use cookies?
5.How can users manage or opt out of cookies?

What are cookies and similar technologies?

A cookie is a small data file, usually containing a unique identifier, which is sent by a web server to your computer, mobile phone or tablet device (referred to as a "device" in this Policy) so that the website can remember some information about your browsing activity on the website. The cookie will collect information about your use of our Services, information about your device, such as the IP address and browser type of the device, its approximate location, and the URL of the linked page if you reach our website through a link from a third party website. If you have registered for any Services or you are a subscriber, the Service may also collect your name and email address, which may be transferred to data processors for registered user or subscriber verification purposes.

Similar "local storage" technologies may also be used in our Services as an alternative to cookies. This is technology which is similar to cookies and has very similar functions, such as caching data to help us to improve our Services, allowing you to register for our Services, tracking activity to enable us and our advertisers to place ads to you based on this policy, and counting the number of people who view ads on our Services. References to "cookies" in this Policy refer to cookies or similar technologies.

Cookies record information about your online preferences and help us tailor our Services to your interests. Information provided by cookies may help us analyse your use of our Services and help us provide you with a better user experience.

In addition to cookies, our Services may also use network beacons, remove GIFs, page tags and network bugs. These are all technologies that are implemented by websites or third party ad servers to allow them to analyse your website usage and help improve your experience with the Services.

What are the different types of cookies?

Session cookies are stored only for the duration of your visit to a website and are removed from your device when you close your browser;

Persevering cookies remain on your device for a fixed period of time after the browser is closed and we (or a third party) need to identify you later in the browsing session. Targeting or behavioral ad cookies typically have a fixed period of 30-90 days, and performance analysis and measurement cookies may have a fixed period of 26 months; First party cookies are set by the website you visit; and Third party cookies refer to cookies set by other organizations to be used in our Services. These include cookies from external analytics services that help us to know about the use of our sites, or the use of advertisers, so they can track the effectiveness of their ads.

What are cookies used for?

• Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are critical to the operation of our Services. They are used to remember your preferences on our websites and provide enhanced, more personal features. The information gathered by these cookies is usually anonymous, so we are unable to identify you personally. Functional cookies do not track your internet usage or collect information that might be used to sell ads, but they do help serve ads. These cookies are usually session cookies that expire when you close your browsing session.

• Essential or 'Strictly Necessary' Cookies

These cookies are critical to the operation of our Services. Without these cookies, parts of our websites will not be able to function. These cookies do not track your location on the internet and do remember preferences other than your current visit, and do not collect information about you that may be used for marketing purposes. These cookies are usually session cookies that expire when you close your browsing session.

• Analytical Performance and Measurement Cookies

Analytical performance cookies are used to monitor the performance of our Services, for instance, to decide the number of page views and unique users of our websites. Network analytics services may be designed and operated by third parties. The information offered by these cookies enables us to analyse user behavior patterns and use the information to enhance user experience or identify areas of the website that may need maintenance. The information is anonymous (i.e. it cannot be used to identify you and does not include your personal information such as name and email address) and will be used for statistical purposes only.

• Targeting or 'Behavioural Advertising' Cookies

These cookies may be placed on your device by us or by a third party service provider. Please remember that you have visited a website and use that information to serve you content or ad tailors to your interests. This is often referred to as online behavioral advertising (OBA) and works by grouping common interests based on web browsing history. Your web browsing history can be used to infer things about you (for example, your age, gender etc.), and this information can also be used to make ads on websites related to you. Without these cookies, the content and ads you encounter may not be as relevant to you and your interests. If you want to know more information about the OBA, including how to opt-out of these cookies, please visit: http://www.youronlinechoices.com/ or scroll down to: How can users manage or opt out of cookies?

How does GuideMater use cookies?

GuideMater and our trusted partners use cookies together with other information we maintain for a variety of purposes, including:

• Essential and Functional Cookies

We use these cookies to enable certain online functionality including:

a. Access your information so that we can provide you with customized content and Experiences, or remember the last page you visited on the Services;

b. Confirm returning and registered users, and subscribers and providing them with a personalized version of the site;

c. Users do not need to re-enter login information;

d. Post a comment on our sites;

e. Maintain your settings and verify your identity when logging into the Services;

f. Support security measures and to assist in identifying potential fraud or abuse.

If you object to using essential and functional cookies, please scroll down to: How can users manage or opt out of cookies?

• Analytical Performance and Measurement Cookies

We use these cookies to measure users' behaviour to better prepare our Services. With analytics services offered by third parties such as Google Analytics and ComScore, we can analyse and measure which pages are viewed, for how long, and which links are followed, and we can use this information to present more content of interest. We also use this analysis to report on our performance and sale ads.

If you object to using analytical performance and measurement cookies, please see here: How can users manage or opt out of cookies?

• Other Third Party Cookies

You may notice that on some pages of our websites, cookies are set to be independent of GuideMater. These third party service providers may set their own cookies on your device when you visit pages that contain Twitter or Facebook content. Because of the way cookies work, GuideMater does not control the use of these third party cookies and cannot access them, because cookies can only be accessed by the party that set them in the first place. Check out third party websites for more information about these cookies.

Some of our websites use Adobe Flash Player to deliver video and game content to users. Adobe makes use of its own cookies, which cannot be managed by your browser settings, but can be used by the Flash Player for similar purposes, such as storing preferences or tracking users. Flash Cookies work differently than web browser cookies; a website is restricted to storing all data in a single cookie, rather than providing a separate cookie for a particular job. You can control how much data, if any, is stored in that cookie, but you cannot choose what type of information is allowed to be stored. You can manage which websites can store information in Flash cookies on the device through the website storage settings panel on the Adobe website.

We also contain web beacons in emails to track the success of our marketing activities. This means that if you open your email from us, we can see which pages of our Website you have visited. Our web beacons do not store additional information on your device but, but by communicating with cookies on your device, they can tell us when you have opened our email.

If you object to using web beacons please scroll down to: How can users manage or opt out of cookies?

How can users manage or opt out of cookies?

Some people find the idea of websites storing information on their device a bit intrusive, especially when the information is being stored and used by third parties. For example, you maight object to ads saving targeted to your interests based upon your browsing history. If you wish to opt out of cookies, you can control cookies by following the steps below, but you should be aware that if you do so, you might lose some of the site's features and functions.

Cookies, including those which have been set, can be deleted from your hard drive. You can also control cookies by changing the preferences/settings in your web browser. Some web browsers have a 'Do Not Track' or 'DNT' setting; this sends a signal to websites not to track your browsing. The following links may be helpful:

Cookie setting in Safari

Cookie setting in Internet Explorer

Cookie setting in Chrome

You can find out how to decline targeting and behavioral advertising cookies by visiting:

https://optout.networkadvertising.org

https://www.aboutads.info

https://www.youronlinechoices.eu

Web Beacons

By turning off cookies in your browser, you may often disable web beacons and other tracking technologies. There are also browser plug-ins and extensions specifically designed to block web beacons. If you object to web beacons in your email, we recommend that you follow the instructions for removing the existing cookies and disabling GuideMater cookies above. We will still know how many emails have been opened and we will automatically receive your IP address, unique identifiers of your device or other accessing devices; but we will not identify you as an individual.

GuideMaster information and contact details:

Please contact GuideMater's Data Protection Officer if you are looking for more information on the cookies that we use and their purposes:

Email：[email protected]