In order to comply with the requirements laid down in  the EU Directive of 26 May 2012 and the provisions of Law no. 506 of 17 November 2004 on the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector, all visitors to the website are asked for their consent before cookies are transmitted to their computers.

This website uses its own and third-party cookies in order to give visitors a much better browsing experience and services tailored to the needs and interests of each individual.

WHAT IS A COOKIE?

A cookie is a small file, generally made up of letters and numbers, which is downloaded to the memory of a computer (or other device used for browsing online — mobile phone, tablet, etc.) when the user visits a particular website.

The cookie is installed at the request of a web server to a browser (ex: Internet Explorer, Chrome) and is entirely “passive” (it contains no software programs, viruses or spyware and cannot access information on the user's hard drive).

A cookie has 2 parts: the name and the content or value of the cookie. Moreover, the lifetime of a cookie is fixed; technically, only the web server that sent the cookie can access it again when a user returns to the website associated with that web server.

Cookies in themselves do not require personal information in order to be used and, in most cases, do not personally identify internet users.

There are 2 broad categories of cookie:

1. Session cookies– these are stored temporarily in the web browser's cookie folder so that it remembers them until the user leaves the website in question or closes the browser window (e.g. when logging in and out of a webmail account or a social network).

1. Persistent cookies– these are stored on the hard drive of a computer or device (and generally depend on the cookie's preset lifetime). Persistent cookies also include those placed by a website other than the one the user is visiting at the time — known as ‘third party cookies’ (cookies placed by third parties) — which can be used anonymously to remember a user's interests, so that advertising as relevant as possible can be delivered to them.

WHAT ARE COOKIES USED FOR?

Cookies can make interaction between users and websites faster and easier. For example, when a user logs in to a particular website, the login details are stored in a cookie; the user can then visit that site again without needing to log in a second time.

In other cases, cookies can be used to store information about the activities a user has carried out on a particular web page, so that they can resume those activities later when they return to the site. Cookies tell the server which pages to show the user, so that they do not have to remember this or browse the whole site from the beginning. Cookies can therefore be likened to “bookmarks” that tell the user exactly where they left off within a website.

In the same way, cookies can store information about the products a user has ordered on an e-commerce site, making the “shopping basket” concept possible.

Cookies can also give websites the ability to monitor users' online activity and build user profiles, which can then be used for marketing purposes.

For example, cookies can be used to identify the products and services a user likes, and that information can then be used to send suitable advertising messages to that user.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF COOKIES?

A cookie contains information linking a web browser (the user) with a particular web server (the website). If a browser visits that web server again, it can read the information already stored and react accordingly. Cookies give users a pleasant browsing experience and support the efforts of many websites to offer users convenient services: e.g. online privacy preferences, site language options, shopping baskets or relevant advertising.

HOW ARE COOKIES USED BY THIS SITE?

A visit to this site may place cookies for the purposes of:

• Visitor analytics cookies
• Geotargeting cookies
• Registration cookies
• Advertising cookies
• Advertising providers' cookies
• Website performance cookies
• Other third-party cookies

WHAT IS THE LIFETIME OF A COOKIE?

Cookies are managed by web servers. The lifetime 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 no longer retained once the user has left the website, and some cookies are retained and reused each time the user returns to that website (‘persistent cookies’). Nevertheless, cookies can be deleted by a user at any time through the browser settings.

WHAT ARE THIRD-PARTY COOKIES?

Certain sections of content on some sites may be supplied through third parties or providers (e.g. a news box, a video or an advertisement). These third parties may also place cookies through the site, and these are called “third party cookies” because they are not placed by the owner of the website in question. Third-party providers must also comply with the law in force and with the site owner's privacy policies.

On some pages, third parties may set their own anonymous cookies in order to track the success of an application or to customise an application. Because of the way they are used, this site cannot access these cookies, just as third parties cannot access the cookies held by this site. For example, when you share an article using the social network button on a site, that social network will record your activity.

FLASH COOKIES

If the user has Adobe Flash installed on their computer, small files may be stored in that computer's memory by websites containing Flash elements (such as video clips). These files are known as “local shared objects” or “flash cookies” and can be used for the same purposes as ordinary cookies.

When ordinary cookies are deleted through a browser's functions, flash cookies are not affected. A website that uses flash cookies can therefore recognise a user on a subsequent visit if the data specific to the deleted cookies was also retained in a flash cookie.

Because flash cookies are not stored on the user's computer in the same way as ordinary ones, they are more difficult to identify and delete. Banks and financial sites use such cookies for precisely this reason. Because they are difficult to identify, these cookies are stored on users' computers to allow users to be authenticated and to prevent fraud, since potential criminals may hold the username and password for logging in but do not have access to the user's computer. Cookies therefore act as a second level of authentication, alongside the username and password.

PERFORMANCE COOKIES

This type of cookie remembers the user's preferences on this site, so that they do not need to be set again on every visit.

Examples: volume settings for the video player, the video streaming speed the browser is compatible with.

VISITOR ANALYTICS COOKIES

Each time a user visits a site, the analytics software supplied by a third party generates a user analytics cookie. This cookie indicates whether you have visited this site before. The browser will signal whether you have this cookie and, if not, one will be generated. This allows monitoring of the unique users visiting the site and how often they do so.

As long as the visitor is not registered on the site, this cookie cannot be used to identify individuals; it is used only for statistical purposes. If they are registered, the details provided — such as email address and username — may also be known, and these are subject to confidentiality in accordance with the legislation in force on the protection of personal data.

REGISTRATION COOKIES

When you register on a site, a cookie is generated indicating whether or not you are registered. Servers use these cookies to show which account you are registered with and whether you have permission for a particular service. It also allows any comment posted on the site to be associated with your username. If you have not selected “keep me signed in”, this cookie is deleted automatically when you close the browser or the computer.

GEOTARGETING COOKIES

These cookies are used by software that determines which country you are from. It is entirely anonymous and is used only to target content — so even when the visitor is on the Romanian-language page or on a page in another language, they will receive the same advertisement.

WHAT TYPE OF INFORMATION IS STORED AND ACCESSED THROUGH COOKIES?

Cookies hold information in a small text file that allows a website to recognise a browser. The web server will recognise the browser until the cookie expires or is deleted.
The cookie stores important information that improves the internet browsing experience (e.g. the language settings in which a site is to be accessed; keeping a user logged in to a webmail account; online banking security; keeping products in the shopping basket).

WHAT TYPE OF INFORMATION IS STORED AND ACCESSED THROUGH COOKIES?

Cookies hold information in a small text file that allows a website to recognise a browser. The web server will recognise the browser until the cookie expires or is deleted.
The cookie stores important information that improves the internet browsing experience (e.g. the language settings in which a site is to be accessed; keeping a user logged in to a webmail account; online banking security; keeping products in the shopping basket).

WHY ARE COOKIES IMPORTANT FOR THE INTERNET?

Cookies are central to the efficient functioning of the internet, helping to generate a browsing experience that is friendly and adapted to each user's preferences and interests. Refusing or disabling cookies can make some sites impossible to use.
Refusing or disabling cookies does not mean that you will no longer receive online advertising — only that it will no longer be able to take account of your preferences and interests as shown by your browsing behaviour.
Examples of important uses of cookies (which do not require a user to log in through an account):

• Offers tailored to users' interests — remembering passwords.
• Limiting the frequency with which advertisements are shown — limiting the number of times an advertisement is displayed to a particular user on a site.
• Retaining child protection filters for content on the internet (family mode options, safe search functions).
• Content and services tailored to the user's preferences — categories of products and services.
• Delivering advertising that is more relevant to the user.
• Measurement, optimisation 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 carry out this analysis of their use in order to improve the sites for the benefit of users.

SECURITY AND PRIVACY ISSUES

Cookies are NOT viruses! They use plain text formats. They are not made up of pieces of code, so they cannot be executed, nor can they run themselves. Consequently, they cannot duplicate or replicate themselves across other networks in order to run or replicate again. Because they cannot perform these functions, they cannot be considered viruses.

Cookies can nevertheless be used for negative purposes. Because they store information about users' preferences and browsing history, both on a particular site and across a number of other sites, cookies can be used as a form of Spyware. Many anti-spyware products are aware of this and consistently flag cookies for deletion as part of anti-virus and anti-spyware deletion and scanning procedures.

Browsers generally have built-in privacy settings that provide different levels of cookie acceptance, validity period, and automatic deletion after the user has visited a particular site.

ADVICE FOR SAFE AND RESPONSIBLE BROWSING BASED ON COOKIES

Because of their flexibility, and the fact that most of the largest and most visited sites use cookies, they are almost unavoidable. Disabling cookies will prevent the user from accessing the most widespread and widely used sites, including YouTube, Gmail, Yahoo and others.
Here is some advice that can help you browse without worry, but with the help of cookies:

• Tailor your browser settings for cookies to reflect a level of cookie security that you are comfortable with.
• If you are not bothered by cookies and you are the only person using the computer, you can set long expiry periods for storing browsing history and personal access data.
• If you share access to the computer, you may wish to consider setting the browser to delete individual browsing data each time you close it. This is one way of visiting sites that place cookies while deleting any visit information when you end the browsing session.
• Install and constantly update anti-spyware applications.

Many spyware detection and prevention applications include detection of attacks on websites. This prevents the browser from accessing websites that could exploit browser vulnerabilities or download dangerous software.
Make sure your browser is always up to date.
Many cookie-based attacks are carried out by exploiting the weaknesses of older browser versions.

Cookies are everywhere and cannot be avoided if you want to enjoy access to the best and biggest sites on the internet, whether local or international. With a clear understanding of how they work and the benefits they bring, you can take the necessary security measures so that you can browse the internet with confidence.
Disabling and refusing cookies can make certain sites impractical or difficult to visit and use. Refusing to accept cookies also does not mean that you will no longer receive or see online advertising.
It is possible to set your browser so that these cookies are no longer accepted, or you can set the browser to accept cookies from a particular site. But if, for example, you are not registered using cookies, you will not be able to leave comments.

All modern browsers offer the ability 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 your browser's “help” option for more details.
Cookie settings in Internet Explorer
Cookie settings in Firefox
Cookie settings in Chrome
Cookie settings in Safari
For the settings of cookies generated by third parties, you can also consult the site:
http://www.youronlinechoices.com/ro/

USEFUL LINKS

For more information about cookies and what they are used for, we recommend the following links:

Microsoft Cookies guide
All About Cookies
IAB Romania provides the following site to offer more information on privacy relating to online advertising: http://www.youronlinechoices.com/ro/

Contact

For more information about the Cookie Policy or any other questions, you can contact us by email at: office@bigweld.ro