1. Cookie Usage Policy

This policy applies to cookies and web pages operated by shoppinginromania.ro.

2. What are Cookies?

A cookie is a small file consisting of letters and numbers that will be stored on the computer, mobile terminal or other equipment of a user who accesses the Internet. The cookie is installed by request issued by a web server to a browser (e.g.  Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome) and is completely "passive" (does not contain software viruses or spyware and cannot access the information on the hard drive of the user). The cookie has a predefined format and is completely saved by your browser, without the possibility of modifying anything other than the identification key, its value, and the expiration date.

3. What are Cookies used for?

These files make it possible to recognize the user's terminal and present the content in a relevant way, adapted to the user's preferences. Cookies provide users with a pleasant browsing experience and support shoppinginromania.ro efforts to provide user-friendly services: e.g.: - privacy preferences, subscription to newsletters or relevant advertising. They are also used to prepare aggregated anonymous statistics that help us understand how a user benefits from our web pages, allowing us to improve their structure and content, excluding personal identification of the user, through Google Analytics.

4. What Cookies do we use?

We use two types of cookies: per session and fixed. The first ones are temporary files that remain in the user's terminal until the end of the session or until the application is closed (the web browser). The fixed cookies are stored on the device for the time specified in the cookie parameters or until they are manually deleted by the user.

5. How are Cookies used by this website?

A visit to this website can place cookies for the purposes of:

  • Website performance cookies

  • Visitor analysis cookies

  • Geo-targeting cookies

  • Advertising cookies

  • Advertising providers cookies

6. Do the Cookies contain personal data?

Cookies themselves do not require personal data to be used and, in most cases, do not personally identify internet users. Personal data collected through the use of Cookies can be collected only to facilitate certain user functions. Such data is encrypted in a way that makes it impossible for the unauthorized individuals to access it.

7. Deleting Cookies

Generally, an application used for accessing the web pages allows you to save Cookies on a terminal by default. These settings may be changed in such a way that the automatic administration of the Cookies is blocked by the web browser or that the user is informed every time when the Cookies are sent to their terminal. Detailed information about the possibility and ways of Cookie administration can be found in the application setting area (web browser). The limitation of the Cookie use may affect certain web page functionalities.

8. Why are Cookies important for the Internet?

Cookies are the central focus of the efficient Internet functioning, helping to generate a friendly browsing experience, which is adapted to the preferences and interests of each user. Denying or disabling cookies can make some sites unusable.

Denying or disabling cookies does not mean you will not receive online advertising, but it will no longer be able to take account of your preferences and interests highlighted by the browsing behavior.

Examples of important uses of Cookies (which do not need authentication of a user by means of an account):

  • Content and services adapted to the preferences of the user – products and services categories.

  • Offers adapted to the user’s interests – retaining passwords.

  • Retaining child protection filters regarding the content on the Internet (family mode options, safe search functions).

  • Limiting the ad broadcasting frequency limit the number of impressions of an ad for a particular user on a site.

  • Providing more relevant advertising for the user.

  • Measurement, optimization and analytics features such as the confirmation of a certain level of traffic on a website, what type of content is viewed and how a user reaches a website (eg. through search engines, directly from other websites etc.). Websites run these analyzes of their use to improve sites for the benefit of users.

9. Security and issues regarding confidentiality

Cookies are NOT viruses! They use plain text formats. They are not made of pieces of code, so that they can neither be run, nor can be self-run. Therefore, they cannot duplicate or replicate on other networks in order to run themselves or replicate again. As they cannot have these functions, they cannot be considered viruses.

However, Cookies can be used for negative purposes. As they store information about the preferences and the browsing history of the users, both on a certain website and on more other sites, Cookies can be used as a form of Spyware. Many anti-spyware products are aware of this fact and they constantly mark Cookies to be deleted within the erasing/scanning anti-virus/anti-spyware procedures.

Generally, browsers have confidentiality setting integrated, which provide various levels of accepting Cookies, the validity period and automatic delete after the user has visited a certain website.

Other security aspects regarding the Cookies:

As the identity protection is quite valuable and represents every internet user’s right, it is indicated to know what potential problems the cookies can create. As by means of them information is transmitted constantly in both ways between the browser and the website, if an attacker or an unauthorized person interferes with the transmitting data path, the information contained by the cookie can be intercepted.

Although very rare, this might happen if the browser connects to the server using a non-encrypted network (e.g.: an unsecured WIFI network).

Other attacks based on Cookies imply wrong Cookies settings on servers. If a website does not require the browser to use only encrypted channels, the attackers can use this vulnerability to trick the browsers into sending information through unsecured channels. Then, the attackers use the information for purposes of accessing certain websites in an unauthorized way. It is very important to be careful when choosing the most appropriate protection method for the personal information.

Advices for safe and responsible browsing based on Cookies.

Due to their flexibility and the fact that the majority of the most visited and the biggest websites use cookies, those are almost inevitable. Deactivating cookies will not allow the user’s access to the most wide-spread and used websites, such as YouTube, Gmail, Yahoo and others.

Take some advice that can assure you that you carelessly browse, but with the help of Cookies:

  • Customize your browser settings related to Cookies in order to reflect a security level of using cookies that is comfortable for you.

  • If the Cookies do not bother you and you are the only person who is using the computer, you can set long expiry dates for storing the browsing history and personal access data.

  • If you share the access to a computer, you can take into consideration setting the browser in order to delete the individual surfing data every time you exit the browser. This is a variant to access sites that place Cookies and delete any visiting information when closing the browsing session.

  • Install and constantly update antispyware applications.

Many of the applications of detecting and preventing spyware include detecting the attacks on the websites. Thus, they prevent the browser from accessing websites that could exploit the vulnerabilities of the browser or to download dangerous software.

Make sure that you have your browser always updated.

Many of the attacks based on Cookies are carried out by exploring the weaknesses of the older versions of the browsers.

The Cookies are everywhere and cannot be avoided if you want to have access to the best and biggest websites on the Internet – local or international. With a clear understanding of their operation way and the benefits they offer, you can take necessary security measures so that you can trustfully browse the internet.

Deactivation and refusal to receive Cookies can make certain websites impracticable or difficult to visit and use. Also, the refusal to accept Cookies does not mean that you will not receive/watch advertising online.

The setting within the browser is possible in order for these Cookies not to be accepted any longer or you can set the browser not to accept the Cookies from a certain site. But, for example, if you are not registered using Cookies, you will not be able to leave comments.

All the modern browsers offer the possibility to change the Cookies settings. These settings are usually found in “Options” or in the menu “Preferences” 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.

Cookie settings in Internet Explorer

Cookie settings in Firefox

Cookie settings in Chrome

Cookie settings in Safari

For the cookie settings generated by others, you can also visit the site:

http://www.youronlinechoices.com/ro/

10. Useful Links

If you want to find out more information about Cookies and what they are used for, we recommend the following links:

Microsoft Cookies Guide

All About Cookies

http://www.youronlinechoices.com/ro/

 

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