Updated on: Friday 1 May 2015
Introduction
When you use the Website, information may be collected through the use of cookies. The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 provides that certain information must be given to users and the user must give his or her consent to the placing of the cookies. This Cookies Policy sets out information about how we use cookies and by using our Website, you agree to the use of the cookies described below.
What are Cookies?
Cookies are small bits of text that are downloaded to your browser as you use the internet. It is generated by a web page server, which is basically the computer that operates a website. Their purpose of cookies is to carry bits of useful information about your interaction with the website that sets them.
Cookies generally do not contain any information that would identify a person. Usually they contain a string of text or 'unique identifier'. This acts like a label. When a website sees the string of text it has set in a cookie, it knows the browser is one it has seen before. A cookie can therefore be thought of as an internet user's identification card, which tell a website when the user has returned.
If you use a different computer, open a new web browser or delete your cookies, the website will treat you as if you have arrived for the first time (and a new cookie will be set).
What Do They Do?
Cookies make the interaction between users and websites faster and easier. For example, without cookies, it would be very difficult to remember your preferences or registration details when you come back to a website.
Cookies are used to save time and make the browsing experience more efficient and tailored to you. They also allow website operators to monitor the way in which you use the website and build up a user profile for marketing and advertising purposes.
Different Types of Cookies
There are two types of cookies that are typically used – and we use both of these on the Website; 'Session' and 'Persistent' cookies.
Session cookies only last for your online session and disappear from your computer when you close your browser.
Persistent cookies are set the first time you visit a website. They help identify a unique browser to a website. They will remain there for a period determined by the web page server when the cookie is set. For example, analytics cookies (described in more detail below) are typically set for 18 months but can be for longer.
Cookies Set by Last.fm
Last.fm uses certain cookies which are essential to the proper functioning of the Website. This category of cookies includes those which: identify you as a valid user, maintain and recognise you when you login and keep track of your music play history.
Last.fm also used cookies which are functional and allow us to remember the choices you make and enhance your user experience. The information is typically anonymised. This category of cookies includes those related to language preferences, mobile or full site preferences, remembering volume controls and other personal settings.
We may allow our business partners to use cookies on the Website for the same purposes identified above.
Third Party Analytics Cookies
We use cookies that carry out statistical analysis. Such cookies may monitor your internet browsing habits and identify the search categories which you often employ and the sites you frequently visit. We use these cookies to monitor and evaluate our Website and they inform any improvements we decide make to the same.
These web analytics cookies may be operated by other companies on our behalf. Analytics cookies do not contain any information which identifies your personally. It is possible to opt out of analytics cookies and we have provided you with links below which help you do this. However, by not allowing these cookies, this prevents us from learning about how you interact with the Website which helps us to make it better.
Yahoo! uses cookies to carry out statistical analysis based on web-browsing behaviour. For more information about Yahoo!’s practices and your choices about how you can control Yahoo!’s access to and use of this information, please visit here http://info.yahoo.com/privacy/uk/yahoo/opt_out/targeting/details.html.
Google Analytics uses a number of cookies to determine unique users, keep track of pages within a given site and how you arrived at our Website. You can prevent your data from being collected and used by Google Analytics by downloading and installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on at: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. The Google Analytics features we have implemented include Google Analytics Demographics and Interest Reporting. Data from Google's Interest-based advertising or 3rd-party audience data (such as age, gender and interests) may be used with Google Analytics to monitor and evaluate our Website and enable third party advertising partners to provide you with targeted ads which are likely to be more relevant to you and your interests. You can opt-out of Google Analytics for Display Advertising and customise Google Display Network ads using the Ads Settings at: https://www.google.com/settings/u/0/ads?hl=en.
ComScore is an independent measurement and research company which gathers information regarding visitor activity on the Website. You can find out more about ComScore cookies at: http://www.scorecardresearch.com/about.aspx. To opt out of receiving cookies from ComScore please visit: http://www.scorecardresearch.com/OptOut.aspx.
Our website in Germany uses the Scalable Central Measurement Method by INFOnline (https://www.infonline.de) for evaluation of statistical data related to the use of our services. You can opt-out from the respective data processing by clicking the following link and follow further instructions: http://optout.ivwbox.de.
Third Party Advertiser Cookies
We work with third parties to help us track the ads that are delivered to you, in particular to control the number of times you receive the same ad, and to analyse the effectiveness of advertising on our site. Third parties that use cookies, web beacons and other technologies to help us with traffic measurement, research and analytics include Omniture, Nielsen and ConfirmIT. We do not share contact information with these third parties.
For example, if you like travel and visit a number of travel websites, the cookie will record that and, when you visit a website within its network, you are likely to receive a travel ad. We explain below how these cookies may be switched off, but please remember, that if you do that, you will still receive advertising on our Website, it just won’t be tailored to your interests.
If you want to opt-out of these third party advertising cookies, you can do this by visiting the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s website www.youronlinechoices.com/uk . You can a check on all ad serving cookies that are currently set on your device and can opt out from all or some of these. Please note that Last.fm does not work with all of the ad networks listed on this Website – this provides a comprehensive check of all ad serving cookies that are currently set and many of these will have been set via other websites.
If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, see the Network Advertising Initiative’s consumer Web site at http://www.networkadvertising.org/consumer. Further information can be found on http://cbsiprivacy.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1272/
How Can I Disable Cookies Using my Browser?
Most browsers have cookies turned on as a default, but you can always disable cookies or only allow non-persistent cookies via your browser preferences. Please note that if you choose to disable cookies this will adversely affect the functionality on the Website and you won’t be able to enjoy it as much.
You can set your browser to delete cookies every time you finish browsing. Users can also set their browser to prompt them each time a cookie is offered. Find out more by visiting the ‘Help’ sections on your browser for more information. Alternatively, you can visit www.aboutcookies.org which contains comprehensive information on how to disable cookies on a wide variety of browsers.