1. What Are Cookies?

Definition and Purpose

Cookies are small pieces of data stored on your computer or mobile device by your web browser. They serve several important functions:

• Session Management: Keep you logged in and maintain your preferences
• Personalization: Remember your settings and show relevant content
• Analytics: Help us understand how visitors use our website
• Advertising: Deliver relevant ads and measure their effectiveness
• Security: Protect against fraud and ensure secure browsing

How Cookies Work

When you visit Orbitrock:

• Your browser sends a request to our website
• Our server responds with the requested page and sets cookies
• Your browser stores these cookies on your device
• On subsequent visits, your browser sends the cookies back to us
• This allows us to recognize you and provide a personalized experience

2. Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function properly and cannot be disabled:

• Authentication: Keep you logged in during your session
• Security: Protect against cross-site request forgery (CSRF)
• Functionality: Enable core website features like search and navigation
• Performance: Ensure the website loads quickly and efficiently

Performance and Analytics Cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors use our website:

• Google Analytics: Track page views, user behavior, and site performance
• Heat Mapping: Understand where users click and scroll on pages
• Error Tracking: Identify and fix technical issues
• Load Testing: Ensure the website performs well under traffic

Functional Cookies

These cookies enhance your browsing experience:

• Preferences: Remember your language, region, and display settings
• Search History: Store recent searches for quick access
• Country Favorites: Remember countries you've saved or liked
• Newsletter Settings: Remember your email preferences

Advertising and Marketing Cookies

These cookies help deliver relevant advertisements:

• Targeting: Show ads based on your interests and browsing history
• Retargeting: Remind you of countries and historical events you've viewed
• Performance: Measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns
• Social Media: Enable social sharing and integration

3. Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies on our website are set by third-party services that help us provide better functionality:

Advertising Partners

• Google AdSense: Display relevant advertisements
• Facebook Pixel: Social media advertising optimization
• Amazon Associates: Product recommendation tracking
• Affiliate Networks: Commission tracking and reporting

Analytics Services

• Google Analytics: Website usage statistics and insights
• Hotjar: User behavior analysis and heat mapping
• Mixpanel: Event tracking and user journey analysis
• Cloudflare: Performance monitoring and security

Social Media

• Facebook: Social sharing and login functionality
• Twitter: Tweet sharing and social integration
• Instagram: Visual content sharing
• LinkedIn: Professional networking integration

4. Cookie Duration

Session Cookies

These cookies are deleted when you close your browser:

• Authentication tokens
• Shopping cart contents
• Temporary preferences
• Security tokens

Persistent Cookies

These cookies remain on your device for a set period:

• Short-term (1-30 days): User preferences, recent searches
• Medium-term (1-12 months): Analytics data, advertising preferences
• Long-term (1+ years): Language settings, opt-out choices

Cookie Expiration

We regularly review and update cookie expiration times to balance functionality with privacy:

• Essential cookies: Session or 1 year
• Analytics cookies: 2 years maximum
• Advertising cookies: 13 months maximum
• Preference cookies: 1 year maximum

5. Managing Your Cookie Preferences

Browser Settings

You can control cookies through your web browser settings:

Mobile Device Settings

• iOS: Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security
• Android: Chrome settings > Site settings > Cookies
• Cross-app tracking: Limit ad tracking in device settings

6. Cookie Consent and Opt-Out

First Visit Experience

When you first visit Orbitrock, you'll see a cookie consent banner that allows you to:

• Accept All: Allow all cookies for full functionality
• Customize: Choose which types of cookies to accept
• Reject Non-Essential: Only allow necessary cookies
• Learn More: Access detailed information about cookies

Opt-Out Tools

You can opt out of specific types of cookies:

7. Impact of Disabling Cookies

Functionality Limitations

If you disable cookies, some features may not work properly:

• Login Issues: You may need to log in on every page
• Lost Preferences: Settings won't be remembered
• Search Problems: Recent searches won't be available
• Personalization: Content won't be tailored to your interests
• Saved Countries: Your favorite countries may not be remembered

Recommended Settings

For the best experience, we recommend:

• Allow essential cookies (required for basic functionality)
• Allow functional cookies (for personalization)
• Consider allowing analytics cookies (helps us improve)
• Review advertising cookies based on your preferences

8. Cookie Security

Security Measures

We implement several security measures to protect your data:

• HTTPS Only: All cookies are transmitted over secure connections
• HttpOnly Flag: Prevents JavaScript access to sensitive cookies
• Secure Flag: Ensures cookies are only sent over HTTPS
• SameSite Policy: Protects against cross-site attacks
• Regular Audits: We review and update security practices

Data Protection

• Cookies don't contain personal information like names or addresses
• We don't use cookies to track your browsing on other websites
• Third-party cookies are limited to approved partners only
• We regularly review and remove unnecessary cookies

9. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws.

How We Notify You

• Post updated policy on our website
• Update the "Last updated" date
• Display prominent notices about changes
• Send email notifications for significant updates

Your continued use of Orbitrock after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about our use of cookies or need help managing your preferences: