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Cookies

Date updated: 1/12/2023

When we provide services, we want to make them easy, useful and reliable. Where services are delivered on the internet, this sometimes involves placing small amounts of information on your device, for example, your computer or mobile phone. These small amounts of information are known as cookies.

What are cookies?

Cookies are pieces of data created when you visit a site, and contain a unique, anonymous number. They are stored in the cookie directory of your device. Some expire at the end of your website session; others remain on your device for slightly longer.

Cookies do not contain any personal information about you and cannot be used to identify you personally. You may safely turn off cookies on our web site without affecting how our web pages are displayed or function.

How are cookies used?

Cookies are used to improve our website and your experience when using it through, for example:

  • recognising that you may already have entered a username and password so you don't need to enter it every time you need to logon
  • measuring how many people are using our web pages, so they can be made easier to use and there's enough capacity to ensure they are fast
  • analysing data to help us understand how people interact with our web pages so we can make them better

How does the City of London website use cookies?

Cookies enable us to identify your device, or you when you have logged in. We use cookies that are strictly necessary to enable you to move around the site or to provide certain basic features.

We use cookies to enhance the functionality of the website by storing your preferences, for example. We also use cookies to help us to improve the performance of our website to provide you with a better user experience.

We don’t sell the information collected by cookies, nor do we disclose the information to third parties, except where required by law.

Types of cookies

First party cookies

First party cookies are cookies placed by the specific website visited - the website displayed in the browser’s address bar. In our case that’s www.cityoflondon.gov.uk.

Linked to third party cookies

Linked to third party cookies are cookies placed by a third party website that the City of London’s website provides a link to. External links they are marked with an icon ( ) to help you identify them.

What cookies does the City of London website put on my device?

First party cookies

Cookie preference
Type: Necessary, Name: Cookie Control

This cookie is used to remember a user’s choice about cookies on www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

Where users have previously indicated a preference, that user’s preference will be stored in this cookie.

Preferences
Type: Optional - Functionality cookies, Name: splashScreen

This cookie is used to remember a user’s choice on www.cityoflondon.gov.uk. Where users have previously indicated a preference, that user’s preference will be stored in this cookie.

Session cookies for logged in user

Our website uses a cookie to recognise that you may already have entered your username and password so you don't need to enter it every time you logon.

Universal Google analytics
Type: Optional - Performance cookies, Names:_ga, _gali, _gat, _gid 

Our website uses Google analytics to measure how many people are using our web pages and to help us understand how people interact with our web pages so we can make them better. Google uses a cookie to enable us to gather this information. Read Google's overview of privacy and safeguarding data

X
Type: Optional - Performance cookies, Names: gt, ct0, Guest_id

Our website contains pages that embed content from our X feeds. This functionality uses a cookie to facilitate this.

Share

Some of the pages in our website can be shared with third party websites, like X. Occasionally a cookie is used to by the third party to enable you to do this (see above).

iFrames
Type; Functionality cookies, Names: CONSENT, VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE, YSC, __Secure-, ENID, NID

Our website uses iFrames to display third party content, such as Facebook and Google Maps, within a web page. In some cases, this third party content may place a cookie on your device.

Linked to third party cookies

Our website contains links to various external websites that may place a cookie on your device. To enable you to differentiate between internal and external links, external links are marked with an icon ( ).

Duration of cookies

Persistent cookies last as follows
_gat_gtag_UA_21582611_3 one minute
_gid one day
_ga two years
These cookies are unique identifiers given to each browser to track user interactions with the website.

Other, temporary cookies are set up by default for a maximum of 90 days.

Optional cookies are only activated if a user accepts them.

How to manage your cookies

Web browser cookies

If you wish to restrict or block the cookies which are set by our website this can be done through the Cookie Controller which is accessible via the cog icon at the bottom left of your screen.

Additionally, you can do this for our website, or indeed any other website, through your browser settings. The 'Help' function within your browser should tell you how.

Feedback

If you have any questions about how we use cookies on our website please contact us.