Last Updated: October 3, 2022
(View previous version: 3/28/17)
As described in our Privacy Policy, we and our partners use cookies and other technologies to provide our Platform and to enhance your experience. This Cookie Policy sets out some further detail on how and why we use these technologies on our Platform, which includes any website, application, or service we offer. The terms "Meetup," "we," "us," and "our" include Meetup LLC and our affiliates.
Cookies
What Cookies Are. Cookies are small data files which are downloaded to your device when you visit a website either for the duration of your visit (a ‘session cookie’) or for repeat visits (a ‘persistent cookie’). Cookies are then sent back to the originating website on each subsequent visit, or to another website that recognizes that cookie. Cookies are useful because they allow us to recognize your browser or device, which helps in the efficient operation of our services. Other similar files such as clear GIFs, web beacons and pixel tags work in the same way and we use the word ‘cookie’ in this policy to refer to all files that collect information in this way. A cookie cannot read data off your hard drive or read cookie files created by other websites.
Cookies set by the website operator are called "first party cookies". Cookies set by parties other than the website operator are called "third party cookies". The parties that set third party cookies can recognize your web browser both when it visits our Platform and when it visits certain other websites where the third party’s cookies are also present. Data collected pursuant to first party cookies can also be shared with third parties.
More information on cookies and their use can be found at www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.
How We Use Cookies
Cookies serve a variety of functions, like enabling us to remember certain information you provide to us as you navigate between pages on the Platform. We use cookies for the following purposes:
Authentication: We need to use cookies to enable you to log into secure areas of our Platform. In addition, we may employ third-party services that may use cookies to help you sign into their services from our Platform.
Services, features, and preferences: We use cookies to provide functionality and help us deliver our products and services according to your preferences in the following ways.
To facilitate communications: We automatically receive information about communications sent and received using our Services.
To remember your settings and preferences: We use cookies to recognize your browser and remember your preferences (such as your preferred language).
To improve performance: We use cookies to provide the best experience. For example, we use cookies to speed up the loading of our Services.
To process payments: Our third-party payment processors, Stripe and PayPal, may use cookies as part of the payment flow.
Security: We use cookies to support or enable security features we have deployed, and to help us detect malicious activity and violations of our Terms of Service. These cookies help us prevent fraudulent use of login credentials.
Performance, Analytics and Research: We use cookies to help us analyze how the Platform is being accessed and used, and enable us to track performance of the Platform. This helps us to understand, improve, and research features and content on the Platform. We may also use other services, such as Google Analytics or other third-party cookies and related technologies, to assist with analyzing performance on our Platform. As part of providing these services, these partners may use cookies and the technologies described below to collect and store information about your device, such as time of visit, pages visited, time spent on each page of the Platform, links clicked and conversion information, IP address, browser, mobile network information, and type of operating system used.
Advertising: We and our third party advertising partners use cookies to display ads to you on our Platform and on third party websites or online services, to make those ads more relevant to your interests, and to analyze the effectiveness of ad campaigns. Our first party cookies record your visit to our Platform, the pages you have visited, and the links you have followed, so that we can share relevant ads about Meetup’s services and other products with you on our Platform and on third party websites or online services. Our advertising partners include advertisers, advertising service providers and third party publishers. They may collect cookie and other information about your activity across different websites, including our Platform, and across your different devices to infer your interests, develop personalized content and deliver ads that may be relevant to you.
Duration of Cookies
Some cookies, known as "session cookies", will stay on your device only for as long as you are accessing our Platform. Others, known as "persistent cookies", are stored on your device for longer periods.
Other Technologies
Use of Other Technologies. We may allow others to provide analytics services and serve advertisements on our behalf. In addition to the uses of cookies described above, these entities may use other methods, such as the technologies described below, to collect information about your use of the Platform and other websites and online services.
Pixels tags. Pixel tags (which are also called clear GIFs, web beacons, or pixels), are small pieces of code that can be embedded on websites and emails. Pixels tags may be used to learn how you interact with our site pages and emails, and this information helps us and our partners provide you with a more tailored experience.
Device Identifiers. A device identifier is a unique label can be used to identify a mobile device. Device identifiers may be used to track, analyze and improve the performance of the Platform and ads delivered.
Local storage. Local storage is an industry-standard technology that enables the storage and retrieval of data on a computer, mobile phone or other device. Local storage may be used to store member preferences on devices.
Cookie Preferences
Depending on where you are located, you will have different options to control or opt out of the use of cookies.
Cookie Consent Management. For users in certain jurisdictions, such as the European Economic Area and the UK, we only use non-technically necessary cookies with your consent. If you are accessing our Platform from one of those countries, when you first land on our Platform you will be asked which cookies you consent to using.
If you are accessing our Platform from another location, by using our Platform you consent to storage and access to cookies and other technologies on your device, in accordance with this Cookie Policy.
Users in most jurisdictions can revise their choices at any time through the Cookie Settings.
Note that because this choice is a cookie-based mechanism, there are limitations on whether it applies across devices or on other browsers.
Device and Web Browser Settings. All users can control the use of cookies by following the instructions below:
Most devices and web browsers are set to accept cookies by default. If you prefer, you may be able to remove or reject cookies. You can learn more about how to block cookies by visiting allaboutcookies.org. Please note that if you choose to remove or reject cookies, this could affect the availability and functionality of our Platform.
Third parties that use cookies and other tracking technologies to deliver targeted advertisements may offer you a way to prevent such targeted advertisements by opting out at the websites of industry groups such as the Digital Advertising Alliance, or if located in the European Union, the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance. You may also be able to control advertising cookies provided by publishers, for example Google's Ad Preference Manager. Your device may also include a feature that allows you to opt out of having certain information collected through apps used for behavioral advertising purposes. On a mobile device, this information is typically available under the “settings” function. For iOS devices, to limit interest-based ad tracking, go to Settings > Privacy > Advertising > Turn on “Limit Ad Tracking.” For Android devices, go to Settings > Google services > Ads > Turn on “Opt out of Ads Personalization." For iOS and Android, you can also reset the advertising identifier that is currently assigned to you. Note that even if you choose to opt out of receiving targeted advertising by a third party these tracking technologies may still collect data for other purposes including analytics and you will still see ads from us across the Internet, but the ads will not be targeted based on behavioral information about you and may therefore be less relevant to you and your interests.
Revisions to this Policy
We may modify this Cookie Policy from time to time. When we do, we will provide notice to you by publishing the most current version and revising the date at the top of this page. Depending on the circumstances, we may provide additional notice to you of changes to this Cookie Policy, such as by sending you an email or displaying a prominent notice on our Platform. By continuing to use the Platform after any changes come into effect, you agree to the revised Cookie Policy.
How to Contact Us
If you wish to contact us with any queries or concerns, please contact us at privacy@meetup.com.
If you are located in the European Economic Area, you can also contact Meetup’s GDPR representative:
VeraSafe Ireland Ltd.
Unit 3D North Point House
North Point Business Park
New Mallow Road
Cork T23AT2P
Ireland
+420 228 881 031
Contact form: https://verasafe.com/public-resources/contact-data-protection-representative
If you are located in the United Kingdom, you can also contact Meetup’s UK GDPR representative:
VeraSafe United Kingdom Ltd.
37 Albert Embankment
London SE1 7TL
United Kingdom
+44 (20) 4532 2003
Contact form: https://verasafe.com/public-resources/contact-data-protection-representative