Cookies and other Similar Technologies

We think it's important for you to understand how cookies and other similar technologies are used by Producer Loops and our partners. These technologies help Producer Loops function, allow us to understand how you use the Services, and have a number of purposes (beyond just advertising) that you can read about in this policy.

This Cookies & Similar Technologies Policy was published on 10 May 2018.

Types of Cookie Technologies

Cookies are small data files sent from a server to your web browser. They are stored in your browser’s cache and allow a website or a third party to recognise your browser. There are three primary types of cookies:

  • Session cookies are specific to a particular visit and carry information as you view different pages so you don’t have to re-enter information every time you change pages or attempt to checkout. Session cookies expire and delete themselves automatically in a short period of time like after you leave the Site or when you close your web browser.
  • Persistent cookies remember certain information about your preferences for viewing the Site, and allow Producer Loops to recognise you each time you return. Persistent cookies are stored on your browser cache or mobile device until you choose to delete them, and otherwise typically delete themselves at expiration.
  • Third-party cookies are placed by someone other than Producer Loops, and may gather browsing activity across multiple websites and across multiple sessions. They are usually a type of persistent cookie and are stored until you delete them or they expire based on the time period set in each third-party cookie.

Cookies store data about your use, but they are helpful because they allow us to help Producer Loops function and customise your experience. You can configure your desktop or mobile browser's settings to reflect your preference to accept or reject cookies, including how to handle third-party cookies.

Other Technologies

In addition to cookies, there are other similar technologies used by Producer Loops and elsewhere on the web or in mobile ecosystems.

Social widgets: These are buttons or icons provided by third-party social media providers that allow you to interact with those social media Services when you view a web page or a mobile app screen. These social widgets may collect browsing data, which may be received by the third party that provided the widget, and are controlled by the third parties.

UTM codes: These are strings that can appear in a URL (the "Uniform Resource Locator", which is typically the http or https address entered to go to a web page) when a user moves from one web page or website to another, where the string can represent information about browsing, such as which advertisement, page, or publisher sent the user to the receiving website.

Local Storage Objects: These (sometimes called flash cookies) are sets of data that can be stored on your browser by a Site or app. They can be used to maintain preferences, maintain a history of usage, or even maintain the state or settings of an app.

Purposes

Producer Loops uses Cookie Technologies to recognise your logged-in state on producerloops.com, to understand what purchases members and visitors are interested in, to make our Site function for you, and to help your browsing experience and use of the Site and Services feel more customised. More generally, Producer Loops uses Cookie Technologies for the following.

Security and Authentication (Strictly Necessary)

Some cookie and similar technology functions are necessary and vital to ensuring that Producer Loops works properly for visitors and members, such as maintaining the security, safety, and integrity of the Site, authentication and logging into Producer Loops (including remembering permissions and consents you have granted), and ensuring the ability to securely complete transactions.

Account and User Preferences

Some technologies are used to remember your account and preferences over time, such as remembering your account or keeping yourself logged in when returning to Producer Loops, maintaining your choices on Producer Loops features and customising content based on how you use Producer Loops.

Performance and Analytics

Some technologies help provide performance data on how the Services are functioning in order to improve Producer Loops and the Services, including, for example, data on Site and speed to help us optimise Producer Loops, how the Services are used to help us improve your experience on Producer Loops, and detecting and gathering reporting on bugs to help make Producer Loops work better.

The Site also employs Google Analytics to help understand how Producer Loops is used by its community. For some of the advertising features listed below, like retargeting, data from Google Analytics may be combined with Producer Loops’ first-party data and third-party cookies (like Google’s advertising cookies). To see how to opt-out of Google Analytics Advertising Features, see the Opt-Out section at the bottom of this policy.

You can find more information on how Google Analytics works in this Google guide.

Marketing Services

Producer Loops partners with third-party Service providers that may use various Cookie Technologies to permit us and them to learn about what ads you see and click on affiliated Sites or to show you ads off Producer Loops. These may include things such as:

  • Frequency capping, which limits the number of times a user’s browser or mobile device displays the same ad;
  • Attribution tracking, which estimates what advertising or marketing source brought someone to Producer Loops, or determines what marketing source led to actions like a visit or a purchase;
  • Remarketing, which shows relevant ads to an audience based on prior shopping and browsing patterns on Producer Loops;
  • Audience targeting, which refers to targeting advertisements to a large audience based on the audience’s known or inferred demographics; and
  • Cross-device recognition, which recognises actions across multiple devices or browsers.

Some third-party Service providers may provide information like demographics, cross-device information, or interest categories from a combination of sources that, while not identifying you personally, permit us to provide you with more relevant and useful advertising. In some cases, this information may have non-marketing performance analytics uses as well.

These technologies allow a partner to recognise your computer or mobile device each time you visit Producer Loops or other websites and mobile applications based on data like a cookie, your IP address, or device ID, but do not allow access to other personal information from Producer Loops. However, these technologies may allow us or a third party to recognise you, either from a single device or across devices, over time. These third parties are required to follow applicable laws, self-regulatory programmes, and Producer Loops’ data protection rules where applicable. However, Producer Loops does not have control over these third parties, who each have their own privacy policies and privacy practices.

Consent, Contract, and Legitimate Interests in Processing

Certain Cookie Technologies are employed to make the Site function for its intended purpose, and are provided based on contractual necessity based on your agreement with Producer Loops to perform the Services you have requested. These include the functions strictly necessary to the Service noted above.

By choosing to use our Services after having been notified of our use of Cookie Technologies in the ways described in this Policy, and, in applicable jurisdictions, through notice and unambiguous acknowledgement of your consent, you agree to such use.

Managing Cookie Technologies

You have the ability to control the use of certain Cookie Technologies.

Opt-in and Opt-out on Browsers

In addition, when you use Producer Loops via a browser, you can change your web browser's settings to reflect your cookie preferences for cookies directly from the Site you are on or for third-party cookies. Each browser is a little different, but usually these settings are under the 'options' or 'preferences' menu.

Opt-out of Third-Party Networks

If you do not wish to have this information used for the purpose of serving you interest-based advertisements, you may decline to receive interest based ads through TrustE/TrustArc's preferences manager. Please note this does not stop you from being served advertisements. You will continue to receive generic advertisements. Please note that if you reject or block all cookies in your browser settings, you will not be able to take advantage of Producer Loops’ Services as some cookies are necessary for the Site to function properly.
You can learn more about managing your preferences for ads online, particularly for many third-party advertising networks, through resources made available by the Digital Advertising Alliance at https://www.aboutads.info or the Network Advertising Initiative at https://optout.networkadvertising.org.

Google Analytics Opt-out

For Google Analytics Advertising Features, you can opt-out through Google Ads Settings. Google also provides a Google Analytics opt-out plug-in for the web.

Third-Party Tools

Various third parties provide browser plug-ins and apps that can help provide you information on, and limit or block, third-party cookies, web beacons, and some JavaScript-based technologies. Producer Loops cannot vouch for the efficacy of a particular third-party product.

Contact Us

If you have questions about the use of Cookie Technologies at Producer Loops, please see the "Contact" section on Producerloops.com.