What is a cookie ?

A cookie is a small alphanumeric text file placed on the web user’s hard disk by the server of the website visited or by a third-party server (advertising agency, analytical web service, etc.). Cookies enable a visitor to be recognised when he/she comes back to the website. In fact, from a technical point of view, cookies enable a machine to be recognised, rather than the user. Cookies mean that you can access personalised pages automatically without having to identify yourself. Behavioural data are linked to the cookie’s number and stored on the servers having placed the cookies. Cookies only enable nominative identification to be made if the web user is already registered on the website (within the limit already described).

Cookies used

When consulting our website, information regarding the browsing of your terminal (computer, tablet, smartphone, etc.) on our website may be recorded in “cookie” files installed on your terminal. Further, we may purchase advertising space directly or via our suppliers (communication agencies, advertising agencies) in order to promote our activities and our offers on third-party websites, by means of advertising content (texts, graphics, animations, videos, etc.) disseminated by these websites. Please note that only the entity having issued a cookie is able to read or to modify the information it contains.

1. Cookies that we issue on our website

When you log on to our website, we may install various cookies onto your terminal that enable us to recognise your terminal’s browser during the period of time for which the cookie in question is valid.

These cookies mean we can:

  • establish statistics and volumes of frequency and use of the various elements comprising our website (sections and context visited, tracking), enabling us to improve the interest and the ergonomics of the services we provide;
  • adapt our website’s presentation to the display preferences of your terminal (language used, screen resolution, operating system used, etc.) when you visit our website, according to the equipment and the terminal’s visualisation or reading software;
  • memorise information regarding a form that you have filled in on our website (registration or account access) or about products, services of information that you have chosen on our website (content of a basket for an order, etc.);
  • enable you to access reserved and personal spaces on our website, such as your account, with a user ID or data that you may have provided earlier;
  • apply security measures, for example, when you are asked to log again on to some content or a particular service when a certain amount of time has gone by.

 

2. Third-party cookies

Cookies may also be placed by partner companies (third-party cookies). These cookies are aimed at identifying what you are interested in based on the products consulted or purchased on our website and to collect browsing data in order to personalise advertising sent to you beyond the website or to meet particular objectives.

Cookies can also be registered via our website on your terminal via the social networks when you use social network buttons (“Facebook”, “Pinterest”, “Instagram”, “Google +”, etc.).

 

3. Cookies that we place on websites where our advertisements are present

When you access a website containing one of our advertisements, the advertisement may contain a cookie. This cookie may be registered on your terminal and enable us to recognise your terminal’s browser during the period of time for which the cookie in question is valid.

Managing your cookies

You can manage your cookies in several ways. Any configuration that you may carry out may modify your browsing of the internet and your conditions of access to certain services requiring the use of cookies.

You can free to express your wishes or to change your cookie options at any time in the way described below.

Options available via your web browser

You can configure your browser so that cookies are registered on your terminal, or, alternatively, so that they are rejected, either systematically or according to the entity having issued them. You can also set your browser so that you can accept or refuse cookies from time to time, before a cookie is installed on your terminal.

If your browser configuration is set to accept the registration of cookies on your terminal, cookies incorporated in pages and content that you have consulted may be stored temporarily in a dedicated space on your terminal. They will only be read by the issuer.

If you refuse that cookies we issue be registered on your terminal, or if you delete those that we have registered, you will no longer be able to take advantage of a certain number of functionalities that are nevertheless necessary to browse certain spaces of our website. This will be the case when we are unable to identify, for technical accounting purposes, the type of browser your terminal uses, its language and display settings, as well as the country from which your terminal appears to be logging on to the internet. If need be, we shall accept no liability for any consequences linked to any degradation in the running of our services resulting from it being impossible for us to register or to consult the cookies required in order for them to function and that you may have refused or deleted.

 

With regard to cookie management and cookie options, each browser has a different configuration. The information set out in your browser’s help menu will enable you to know how to modify your cookie options.

  • In Internet Explorer: Open the “Tools” menu, select “Internet Options”, click on the “Security” tab, then on “Personalise the level”.
  • In Mozilla: Open the “Tools” menu, select “Options”, click on the “Privacy” tab.
  • In Chrome: Open the “Tools” menu, select “Options”, click on the “Advanced Options” tab, then click on the “Content Settings” button, click on the “Cookies” tab.
  • In Safari: Open the “Tools” menu, select “Preferences”, click on the “Security” tab.
  • In Opera: Open the “Tools” menu, select “Preferences”, click on the “Cookies” tab.

Choices made online via interprofessional platforms

You can log on to the Youronlinechoices website made available by digital advertising professional from the European Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA) that is managed in France by the Interactive Advertising Bureau France.

You can find out which companies are registered with this platform and which enable you to accept or to refuse cookies used by those companies in order to adapt advertising that may be displayed on your terminal to your browsing information: http://www.youronlinechoices.com/uk/your-ad-choices/.

 

This European platform is shared by hundreds of internet advertising professionals and represents a centralised interface via which you can express your acceptance or your refusal of cookies that may be used in order to adapt advertising that may be displayed on your terminal to your browsing information.

Please note that this procedure will not prevent advertising from being displayed on internet websites that you visit. It will only block technologies that enable adverting to be adapted to what you are interested in.