Cookies policy
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- What is a “cookie”?
- What are the benefits of cookies?
- Why do we use cookies?
- How are cookies used by this site?
- What types of information are stored and accessed through cookies?
- Why are cookies important for the Internet?
- Security and privacy issues
- How can I stop cookies?
Your data security is our top priority, which is why we take any aspect of your data protection seriously.
As of May 25, 2018, Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the protection of natural persons regarding the processing of personal data and the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) known as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), has been implemented. This means that any Operator/entity processing personal data must apply these new requirements and provide transparent information on how the data is processed.
Considering the need to comply with GDPR provisions, and our dedication to caring for your personal data (which may include your name, surname, email address, etc., depending on the purpose of processing) that is stored in our database, we inform you that this data is used solely for the successful completion of processes conducted in relation to you (we mention a few processes without being limited to these: booking/sales/order processing, transport and deliveries, customer relationship maintenance).
To improve your online browsing experience, we use cookies that facilitate the use of the www.sophiahomedecoration.com website by visitors. The complete list of third-party cookies can be found below.
1. WHAT IS A "COOKIE"?
An “Internet Cookie” (also known as a “browser cookie” or “HTTP cookie” or simply “cookie”) is a small file consisting of letters and numbers that is stored on a user’s computer, mobile terminal, or other equipment from which the Internet is accessed. The cookie is installed by request issued by a web server to a browser (e.g., Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox) and is completely “passive” (does not contain software programs, viruses, or spyware and cannot access information from the user’s hard drive).
A cookie consists of two parts: the name and the content or value of the cookie. Moreover, the lifetime of a cookie is determined; technically, only the server that sent the cookie can access it again when a user returns to the site associated with that web server.
Cookies play an important role in facilitating access and delivery of multiple services the user enjoys on the Internet, such as:
- Personalizing certain settings like: the language in which a site is viewed, the currency in which certain prices or rates are expressed, keeping options for various products (quantity, other details, etc);
- Providing site owners with valuable feedback on how their sites are used by users so they can make them more efficient and accessible for users;
- Allowing multimedia or other applications from other sites to be included in a specific site to create a more valuable, useful, and pleasant browsing experience.
Cookies themselves do not require personal information to be used and, in most cases, do not personally identify internet users. There are two major categories of cookies:
- Session cookies – these are stored temporarily in the cookie folder of the web browser so that it can remember them until the user exits the web-site or closes the browser window (e.g., when logging in/out of a webmail account or social network).
- Persistent cookies – These are stored on the hard drive of a computer or equipment (and generally depend on the pre-determined lifetime for the cookie). Persistent cookies include those placed by a site other than the one the user is currently visiting – known as “third-party cookies” – which can be used anonymously to remember a user’s interests so that the most relevant advertising can be delivered to users.
2. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF COOKIES?
Cookies are managed by web servers. The lifespan of a cookie can vary significantly, depending on the purpose for which it is placed. Some cookies are used exclusively for a single session (session cookies) and are not retained once the user has left the website, while some cookies are retained and reused every time the user returns to that website (“permanent cookies”). However, cookies can be deleted by a user at any time via browser settings.
In general, the role of cookies is to ensure a quick and easy interaction between users and websites. Additionally, cookies are used so that users can resume their activities at subsequent visits to a previously visited site. Practically, cookies inform the server which pages should be displayed to the user without the need for the user to remember the pages they have navigated or to navigate the entire site from the beginning.
3. WHY DO WE USE COOKIES?
- To recognize new visitors to the website www.sophiahomedecoration.com.
- To recognize past visitors.
4. HOW ARE COOKIES USED ON THIS SITE?
Session Cookies
Session cookies are stored on the user’s device during the browsing session. They store an anonymous session identifier, allowing the user to navigate the website without having to enter identification information (username, password, etc.) on each page. These cookies are commonly used in online stores. For example, when a user visits a specific page and selects certain products, the cookie remembers the selected products and adds them to the shopping cart, which will contain all the selected products when the user decides to leave the page. Session cookies are stored in the device’s memory only during an internet browsing session and are removed when the browser is closed. They can also become inaccessible if the session has been inactive for a certain period of time.
Strictly Necessary Cookies:
Strictly necessary cookies are those we consider fundamental for the proper functioning of the site and to provide you with the best possible browsing experience. This list includes:
moove_gdpr_popup
Source: GDPR Cookie Compliance by Moove Agency
Persistence: 1 year
Role: Remembers your settings regarding the cookies on this website.
PHPSESSID
Source: local
Persistence: Until the browsing session ends
Role: Remembers your settings regarding the cookies on this website.
chatyWidget_0
Source: local
Persistence: 7 days
Role: Necessary for the functionality of the website’s chat-box feature.
activechatyWidgets
Source: local
Persistence: 1 day
Role: Necessary for the functionality of the website’s chat-box feature.
ifso_visit_counts
Source: local
Persistence: 12 months
Role: Used to keep track of the pages visited by the user. It must be activated to use the Pages Visited condition.
ifso_visit_viewed
Source: local
Persistence: Until the browsing session ends
Role: Used to store the “last viewed” triggers for Google Analytics conversions.
Non-Necessary Cookies for Advanced Analysis (Google Analytics):
_ga
Source: Google Analytics
Persistence: 2 years
Role: Retains anonymous information about user interaction with the site (e.g., time and date of interaction with various marketing materials or pages that brought the user to the site). Details: Google Analytics Cookie Types: https://policies.google.com/technologies/types.
_ga_R90022WH2K
Source: Google Analytics
Persistence: 2 years
Role: Retains anonymous information about user interaction with the site (e.g., time and date of interaction with various marketing materials or pages that brought the user to the site). Details: Google Analytics Cookie Types: https://policies.google.com/technologies/types.
_ga_FVF3BSM8BZ
Source: Google Analytics
Persistence: 2 years
Role: Retains anonymous information about user interaction with the site (e.g., time and date of interaction with various marketing materials or pages that brought the user to the site). Details: Google Analytics Cookie Types: https://policies.google.com/technologies/types.
_gid
Source: Google Analytics
Persistence: 1 day
Role: Stores and updates a unique value for each visited page and is used to count and track page views.
_gat_gtag_UA_41282528_6
Source: Google Analytics
Persistence: 1 minute
Role:This cookie is part of Google Analytics and is used to limit request rates (throttle the request rate).
_fbp
Source: Meta (Facebook)
Persistence: 3 months
Role:Used by Meta to deliver a series of advertising products such as real-time bidding from third-party advertisers.
5. WHAT TYPES OF INFORMATION ARE STORED AND ACCESSED THROUGH COOKIES?
Cookies store information in a small text file that allows a website to recognize a browser. The web server will recognize the browser until the cookie expires or is deleted. The cookie stores important information that enhances the browsing experience on the Internet (e.g., user session ID, referral page, current time, etc.).
6. WHY ARE COOKIES IMPORTANT FOR THE INTERNET?
Cookies are central to the efficient functioning of the Internet, helping to generate a friendly browsing experience tailored to each user’s preferences and interests. Refusing or disabling cookies can make some sites unusable. Refusing or disabling cookies does not mean you will no longer receive online advertising, but it will no longer consider your preferences and interests highlighted by your browsing behavior.
Examples of important uses of cookies (that do not require user authentication through an account):
- Content and services tailored to user preferences;
- Offers adapted to users’ interests – language preferences (e.g., displaying search results in Romanian);
- Providing more relevant advertising to the user;
- Measurement, optimization, and analytics features – such as confirming a certain level of traffic on a website, what type of content is viewed, and how a user arrives at a website (e.g., through search engines, directly, from other websites, etc.). Websites conduct these analyses to improve their sites for the benefit of users.
7. SECURITY AND PRIVACY ISSUES?
Cookies are NOT viruses! They use “plain text” formats. They are not made up of code segments, so they cannot be executed or self-executed. Consequently, they cannot duplicate or replicate on other networks to run or replicate again. Since they cannot perform these functions, they cannot be considered viruses. However, cookies can be used for negative purposes. Many anti-spyware products are aware of this and constantly mark cookies to be deleted during anti-virus/anti-spyware deletion/scan procedures.
In general, browsers have integrated privacy settings that provide different levels of cookie acceptance, validity period, and automatic deletion after the user has visited a particular site.
See the privacy policy for more information.
To improve user experience, we use the following technologies:
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to collect information about how visitors use our websites and web applications. For example, we collect details such as the source of the visit and the total number of visitors to our site and applications. This allows us to determine the effectiveness of our promotional campaigns and the activity of users on our sites and applications.
Find more details about the Google Analytics privacy policy here: https://support.google.com.
8. HOW CAN I STOP COOKIES?
Disabling and refusing to receive cookies can make certain sites impractical or difficult to visit and use. Additionally, refusing to accept cookies does not mean you will no longer receive/see online advertising. It is possible to set the browser to no longer accept these cookies, or you can set the browser to accept cookies from a specific site.
Some browsers have a “Do Not Track” feature that allows users not to be tracked during browsing. Blocking cookies or using the “Do Not Track” mode may block certain functionalities on our websites.
All modern browsers offer the possibility to change cookie settings. These settings are usually found in the “options” or “preferences” menu of your browser.
To understand these settings, the following links may be useful, otherwise, you can use the “help” option of the browser for more details.
- Internet Explorer Cookie Settings
- Mozilla Firefox Cookie Settings
- Chrome Cookie Settings
- Apple Safari Cookie Settings
To learn more about enabling/disabling or deleting cookies from your browser, you can visit this page: http://www.allaboutcookies.org/.