Cookie notice

Other content in this section

The Website uses cookies. This Cookie Notice sets out information about cookies and how to control them. By using the Website, you accept the use of cookies in accordance with this Cookie Notice. In particular, you accept the use of Analytics Cookies for the purposes described below. For further information on cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set on your device and how to manage and delete them, visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org.

What are cookies?

A 'cookie' is a piece of information, like a tag, which some websites create against your computer. The 'cookies' we use log your progress through the site and record how you accessed the site. They do not collect information that identifies you.

This use of cookies is important for us to understand how users use our Website. It enables us to track its usability, how easily visitors can find the information they need and the hardware and software they use when accessing the site. This is particularly important in fulfilling our responsibilities under our Equality and Diversity Scheme.

What cookies do we use on the Website?

The Website uses the following cookies:

Cookies set by the GOC Website
Name	Purpose	Expiry	Content
CFID	To provide transaction support across multiple page requests commonly called a session	Persistent (Until user deletes it)	A randomly generated number
CFTOKEN	To provide transaction support across multiple page requests commonly called a session	Persistent (Until user deletes it)	A randomly generated alphanumeric piece of text.
Sessionname	To know which error message to display (if a member has been logged out of a session or has not logged in) – applies only to MyGOC area	session cookie	Username value
PCMS_VIEWTREEPROPERTIES	Set by the Preside CMS to improve the user experience. Not applicable to front-end user, only to GOC staff and web hosts when updating the Website.	Persistent	A number
cookies_agree	When a user closes the banner it installs a cookie so that the banner will not show again	Persistent (date of 2040 added in)	True value

The cookies CFID and CFTOKEN are used:

Within the MyGOC section:

To facilitate registrant log in
To facilitate page redirect after registrant log-in
To store registrant details after registrant log-in
To store registrant activity log on registrant restricted area
To store online payment details

These cookies are strictly necessary for the use of the MyGOC section.

Within the main website:

To store search results in several search templates
To store form token for form validation

For Website administrators only:

To store preside edit mode details

Cookies set by third party websites

The cookies in the table below are set by the Google Analytics tool. They allow us to accurately estimate the number of visitors to the Website, volumes of usage and ensure that the Website is available. They help us to understand how visitors use the Website and which content is popular and unpopular. They also help us to fulfil our obligations under the Equality Act and our Equality and Diversity Scheme, and to appropriately tailor the design, content and structure of the Website to our audience.

Information collected by the Google Analytics cookies will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States of America in accordance with its privacy practices. To see an overview of privacy at Google and how this applies to Google Analytics, visit https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en&gl=uk#intro. You may opt out of tracking by Google Analytics by visiting https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en-GB

Our Website uses the following Google Analytics Cookies.

Cookies set by the GOC Website
Name	Purpose	Expiry	Content
_utma	To accurately estimate the number of visitors to the Website and volumes of usage, to ensure that the Website is available, to understand how visitors use the Website and which content is popular and unpopular and to appropriately tailor the design, content and structure of the Website to our audience.	2 years from when set	A randomly generated number (Non personal data)
_utmb	As above.	30 minutes from when set	A randomly generated number (Non personal data)
_utmc	As above.	When you close your browser	A randomly generated number (Non personal data)
_utmz	As above.	6 months from when set	A randomly generated number and information on how the site was reached (e.g. direct or via a link, organic search or paid search)

How to control and delete cookies through the browser

If you do not want cookies to be created on your computer, the four major browsers which the Website supports give you the option to disable or delete them. We do not recommend using other browsers, as the Website has not been tested with them and may not work as intended. You can disable or delete cookies in your browser by following instructions at the following links:

Please note that MyGOC will be unavailable if you choose to disable cookies. Please also note that disabling a cookie or category of cookie does not delete the cookie from your browser, you will need to do this yourself from within your browser.

Cookies that have been set in the past

If you have disabled one or more Analytics Cookies, we may still use information collected from cookies prior to your disabled preference being set, however, we will stop using the disabled cookie to collect any further information.