Cookie Policy

Last updated: December 15, 2024

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, smartphone, or tablet) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and provide information to website owners about how visitors use their site.

Cookies contain information that is transferred to your device's hard drive. They help us recognise your device and store some information about your preferences or past actions.

2. How We Use Cookies

Knowledge Ascend uses cookies to:

• Ensure our website functions properly
• Remember your preferences and settings
• Understand how you interact with our website
• Improve your user experience
• Provide relevant content and advertisements
• Analyse website performance and usage
• Comply with legal requirements

3. Types of Cookies We Use

3.1 Necessary Cookies

Purpose: Essential for the website to function properly
Legal Basis: Legitimate interest (essential functionality)
Can be disabled: No - these are required for the site to work

These cookies are essential for enabling you to move around our website and use its features. Without these cookies, services you've asked for cannot be provided.

Examples include:

• ka_cookie_consent - Stores your cookie preferences
• ka_cookie_preferences - Remembers your specific cookie settings
• session_id - Maintains your session while browsing

3.2 Analytics Cookies

Purpose: Help us understand website performance and user behaviour
Legal Basis: Consent
Can be disabled: Yes

These cookies collect anonymous information about how visitors use our website, which pages are visited most often, and if users get error messages. This helps us improve our website and services.

Examples include:

• _ga - Google Analytics: Distinguishes unique users
• _gid - Google Analytics: Distinguishes unique users (24-hour expiry)
• _gat - Google Analytics: Throttles request rate
• ka_analytics - Our internal analytics tracking

3.3 Marketing Cookies

Purpose: Deliver relevant advertisements and measure advertising effectiveness
Legal Basis: Consent
Can be disabled: Yes

These cookies track your browsing habits to enable us to show advertising that is more likely to be of interest to you. They may also be used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement and measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

Examples include:

• ka_marketing - Our marketing preferences tracking
• fbp - Facebook Pixel: Tracks conversions and website events
• _fbp - Facebook: Browser-level identifier for ad targeting

4. Cookie Duration

4.1 Session Cookies

These are temporary cookies that are deleted when you close your browser. They help us track your movement from page to page during a single browsing session.

4.2 Persistent Cookies

These cookies remain on your device for a specified period or until you delete them. They remember your preferences between visits and help provide a more personalised experience.

Typical retention periods:

• Necessary cookies: Session to 1 year
• Analytics cookies: 13-26 months
• Marketing cookies: 30 days to 2 years

5. Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies on our website are set by third-party services that appear on our pages. We use reputable third parties but do not control these cookies directly.

5.1 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how our website is used. Google Analytics sets cookies to help us analyse website traffic and usage patterns.

Privacy Policy: Google Privacy Policy

Opt-out: Google Analytics Opt-out

5.2 Social Media Platforms

Our website includes social media buttons and widgets. These services may set cookies when you interact with them.

• Facebook: Facebook Cookie Policy
• Twitter: Twitter Cookie Policy
• LinkedIn: LinkedIn Cookie Policy

6. Managing Your Cookie Preferences

6.1 Our Cookie Management Tool

You can manage your cookie preferences at any time using our cookie management tool:

This tool allows you to:

• Accept or reject different categories of cookies
• View detailed information about each cookie type
• Change your preferences at any time
• Withdraw consent for non-essential cookies

6.2 Browser Settings

You can also control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:

• View and delete cookies
• Block cookies from specific sites
• Block third-party cookies
• Clear all cookies when you close the browser
• Set exceptions for trusted sites

Browser-specific instructions:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Safari
• Internet Explorer
• Microsoft Edge

7. Impact of Disabling Cookies

7.1 Necessary Cookies

If you disable necessary cookies, some parts of our website may not function properly. You may experience issues with:

• Login functionality
• Form submissions
• Shopping cart operations
• Security features

7.2 Analytics Cookies

Disabling analytics cookies will not affect your browsing experience, but it means we cannot:

• Understand how our website is used
• Identify and fix technical issues
• Improve our services based on user behaviour
• Measure the effectiveness of our content

7.3 Marketing Cookies

Disabling marketing cookies means:

• You may see less relevant advertisements
• You may see the same advertisements repeatedly
• We cannot measure advertising effectiveness
• Personalised content recommendations may be less accurate

8. Mobile Devices and Apps

If you access our website through a mobile device or app, we may use similar technologies to cookies, including:

• Device identifiers
• SDK (Software Development Kit) technologies
• Local storage
• App-specific tracking

You can control these through your device settings or by adjusting app permissions.

9. Data Protection and Privacy

Cookie data is processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws, including:

• UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
• Data Protection Act 2018
• Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003

We ensure that:

• Cookie data is processed lawfully and fairly
• Consent is obtained where required
• Data is kept secure and confidential
• Retention periods are appropriate and justified
• Your rights are respected and protected

10. International Transfers

Some of our third-party service providers may transfer cookie data outside the UK and European Economic Area. When this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

• Adequacy decisions
• Standard contractual clauses
• Binding corporate rules
• Certification schemes

11. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect:

• Changes in our use of cookies
• New technologies or services
• Legal or regulatory requirements
• Best practice developments

When we make significant changes, we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
• Notify you through our website banner
• Request renewed consent where required
• Highlight key changes in our communications

12. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have rights regarding cookies and related personal data:

• Right to be informed: About how cookies are used (this policy)
• Right of access: To see what cookie data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: To correct inaccurate data
• Right to erasure: To have cookie data deleted
• Right to restrict processing: To limit how we use cookies
• Right to object: To object to certain cookie uses
• Right to withdraw consent: To withdraw cookie consent at any time

13. Contact Information

If you have questions about our use of cookies or this policy, please contact us:

Knowledge Ascend Limited
Data Protection Officer
15 Portland Street
Manchester M1 3BE
United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 161 123 4567

14. Complaints

If you have concerns about our cookie practices, you can lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Phone: 0303 123 1113
Website: ico.org.uk