Cookies
About cookies
1.1 A cookie is a file containing an identifier (a string of letters and numbers) that is sent by a web server to a web browser and is stored by the browser. The identifier is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server.
1.2 Cookies may be either "persistent" cookies or "session" cookies: a persistent cookie will be stored by a web browser and will remain valid until its set expiry date, unless deleted by the user before the expiry date; a session cookie, on the other hand, will expire at the end of the user session, when the web browser is closed.
1.3 Cookies do not typically contain any information that personally identifies a user, but personal information that we store about you may be linked to the information stored in and obtained from cookies.
1.4 Cookies can be used by web servers to identify and track users as they navigate different pages on a website and identify users returning to a website.
Our cookies
2.1 We use both session and persistent cookies on our website.
2.2 The names of the cookies that we use on our website, and the purposes for which they are used, are set out below:
a) ADMINDYNSRV & DYNSRV
o Both of these cookies are use to help the performance of the website and are deleted when you close your browser.
b) PHPSESSID
o This is known as a session cookie. It is used to allow users to be recognized within a website so any page changes or item selection you do is remembered from page to page. This cookie is deleted when you close your browser.
Analytics cookies
3.1 We use Google Analytics to analyse the use of our website.
3.2 Our analytics service provider generates statistical and other information about website use by means of cookies.
3.3 The analytics cookies used by our website have the following names: _ga, _gat, __utma, __utmt, __utmb, __utmc, __utmz and __utmv.
3.4 The information generated relating to our website is used to create reports about the use of our website.
3.5 Our analytics service provider's privacy policy is available at: http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.
Blocking cookies
4.1 Most browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies; for example:
(a) in Internet Explorer (version 11) you can block cookies using the cookie handling override settings available by clicking "Tools", "Internet Options", "Privacy" and then "Advanced";
(b) in Firefox (version 47) you can block all cookies by clicking "Tools", "Options", "Privacy", selecting "Use custom settings for history" from the drop-down menu, and unticking "Accept cookies from sites"; and
(c) in Chrome (version 52), you can block all cookies by accessing the "Customise and control" menu, and clicking "Settings", "Show advanced settings" and "Content settings", and then selecting "Block sites from setting any data" under the "Cookies" heading.
4.2 Blocking all cookies will have a negative impact upon the usability of many websites.
4.3 If you block cookies, you will not be able to use all the features on our website.
Deleting cookies
5.1 You can delete cookies already stored on your computer; for example:
(a) in Internet Explorer (version 11), you must manually delete cookie files (you can find instructions for doing so at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/internet-explorer/delete-manage-cookies#ie=ie-11);
(b) in Firefox (version 47), you can delete cookies by clicking "Tools", "Options" and "Privacy", then selecting "Use custom settings for history" from the drop-down menu, clicking "Show Cookies", and then clicking "Remove All Cookies"; and
(c) in Chrome (version 52), you can delete all cookies by accessing the "Customise and control" menu, and clicking "Settings", "Show advanced settings" and "Clear browsing data", and then selecting "Cookies and other site and plug-in data" before clicking "Clear browsing data".
5.2 Deleting cookies will have a negative impact on the usability of many websites.
Cookies set by your social networks
Google+
| Cookie name | Expires after | Description of cookie |
| NID | 6 months | A unique identifier used by Google applications to store user preference information. |
| HSID | 10 years | A unique identifier used by Google applications to store user preference information. |
| SSID | 10 years | A unique identifier used by Google applications to store user preference information. |
| APISID | 10 years | A unique identifier used by Google applications to store user preference information. |
| SAPISID | 10 years | A unique identifier used by Google applications to store user preference information. |
| SID | 10 years | A unique identifier used by Google applications to store user preference information. |
| BEAT | 1 day | A persistent cookie that is used to track Google+ (+1) status |
| ULS | End of session | A session cookie used to track Google+ (+1) status |
| _utma | 12 months | This keeps track of the number of times a visitor has been to Google+, when their first visit was, and when their last visit occurred |
| _utmb | 30 minutes | A timestamp of the exact moment in time when a visitor enters the site |
| _utmc | End of session | A timestamp of the exact moment in time when a visitor leaves the site - having waited 30 minutes for another pageview to happen, and if it doesn’t, it expires |
| _utmz | 6 months | This keeps track of where the visitor came from, what search engine was used, what link was clicked on, what keywords used, and where in the world Google+ was accessed from |
| Cookie name | Expires after | Description of cookie |
| k | 1 week | Twitter image server cookie |
| guest_id | 24 months | Identifies whether the visitor is a user or guest of Twitter |
| original_referer | . | This cookie is used to supply the feed on this site. |
| _utma | 12 months | This keeps track of the number of times a visitor has been to Twitter, when their first visit was, and when their last visit occurred |
| _utmb | 30 minutes | A timestamp of the exact moment in time when a visitor enters the site |
| _utmc | End of session | A timestamp of the exact moment in time when a visitor leaves the site - having waited 30 minutes for another pageview to happen, and if it doesn’t, it expires |
| _utmz | 6 months | This keeps track of where the visitor came from, what search engine was used, what link was clicked on, what keywords used, and where in the world Twitter was accessed from |
| _utmv | 2 years | Used for user-defined reports in Google Analytics classifying the visitor |
| _twitter sess | End of session | Defines a unique ID associated with the current user linked to Twitter |
| auth_token | End of session | On login |
| auh_token_session | End of session | On login |
| secure_session | End of session | On login |
| twll | 10 years | On login |
| lang | End of session | On login |
| pid | 24 months | Used by Twitter (from the share buttons that are embedded in some of our pages) |
| Cookie name | Expires after | Description of cookie |
| datr | 24 months | This identifies the web browser being used to connect to Facebook independent of the logged in visitor. This cookie plays a key role in Facebook’s security and site integrity features |
| reg_fb_gate | End of session | This contains the first Facebook page visited |
| reg_fb_ref | End of session | This contains the last Facebook page visited |
| wd | End of session | This identifies the browser window dimensions |
| lsd | End of session | This contains a random value that is set when a Facebook user logs out in order to prevent cross-site request forgery attacks |
| c_user | Set by visitor | This contains the user ID of the currently logged in visitor. The lifetime of this cookie is dependent on the status of the "keep me logged in" checkbox. If the checkbox is set, the cookie expires after 30 days of inactivity, otherwise the cookie is a session cookie and will therefore be cleared when the browser exits |
| csm | End of session | This cookie is used to integrate the user's Facebook's Like status with the London 2012 site |
| lu | 2 years | This is used to manage how the login page is presented to the visitor. The lifetime is the same as c_user |
| s | End of session | |
| locale | 1 week | This contains the display locale of the last logged in visitor on this browser. This is set after the visitor logs out |
| sct | Set by visitor | This contains a timestamp representing the time at which the visitor logged in. This cookie is used to distinguish between multiple sessions created at different times. The lifetime is the same as c_user |
| xs | Set by visitor | This contains the session number, a session secret and an optional "secure" flag (if visitor has enabled secure browsing feature). The lifetime is the same as c_user |
