UK Tech News, a leading technology news platform, has released a detailed and updated Cookie Policy effective June 2025, providing users with transparent information about the cookies and similar technologies used on its website, https://www.uktech.news. The policy applies to citizens and legal permanent residents of the United Kingdom and aligns with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).
What Are Cookies and Similar Technologies?
The policy begins by defining cookies as small simple files stored on a user's device by the browser when visiting a website. These files enable the website to remember user preferences and actions over time. The document also explains scripts, which are pieces of program code that help the website function interactively, and web beacons or pixel tags, which are invisible elements used to monitor traffic and store data about users.
By understanding these technologies, users can make informed decisions about their privacy. The policy emphasizes that some cookies are essential for the website to work properly, while others require explicit user consent.
Categories of Cookies Used
The website uses several categories of cookies, each serving a specific purpose:
- Functional cookies: These are essential for the website to operate. They enable core functionality such as remembering user preferences, keeping items in a shopping cart, and maintaining login sessions. The policy notes that these cookies can be placed without user consent.
- Statistics cookies: These help the website understand how visitors interact with the site, allowing optimization of the user experience. Examples include Google Analytics cookies that store and count pageviews. Consent is required for these cookies.
- Advertising cookies: Used to deliver personalized advertisements based on user browsing behaviour both on and off the website. These cookies create a profile linked to a unique ID to avoid showing the same ad repeatedly. Consent is required as they are considered tracking cookies.
- Marketing/Tracking cookies: These are used to create user profiles for displaying targeted advertising or tracking the user across websites for marketing purposes.
- Social media cookies: The website includes content from Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter) for sharing and liking functionality. These platforms place their own cookies, and data may be processed in the United States.
Specific Cookies and Their Providers
The policy provides a comprehensive list of cookies placed by various third-party services. For example, Google various services set functional and marketing cookies, including the google_auto_fc_cmp_setting cookie for storing consent preferences and __gpi for advertising. CloudFlare uses functional cookies like __cf_bm to filter bot requests. Criteo places marketing cookies for remarketing, such as cto_bundle with a 13-month expiration. Google Analytics uses statistics cookies like _ga (2 years) and _gid (1 day) to count pageviews. The content management system PHP sets functional cookies prefixed with exp to provide functions across pages.
Complianz, the cookie consent management platform, places several functional cookies with 365-day expiration that store consent preferences and banner status. One Signal uses marketing cookies for push notifications. Google reCAPTCHA employs functional and marketing cookies for spam prevention. WordPress sets functional cookies to store user preferences and login information. Stripe uses a functional cookie for fraud prevention. HubSpot combines marketing, statistics, and functional cookies for automated email marketing and visitor tracking. Hotjar uses functional and statistics cookies for heat maps and screen recordings.
Facebook places a wide range of marketing and functional cookies, including _fbp (3 months) for tracking visits across websites and fr (3 months) for ad delivery. Google Fonts sets a marketing cookie that reads the user's IP address. Twitter uses functional and marketing cookies for load balancing and tracking embedded content. LinkedIn has functional, marketing, statistics, and preferences cookies, such as li_gc (6 months) for consent and bcookie (1 year) for browser details. Google Ads Optimization and Google Ads set marketing cookies for advertising and remarketing. Snowplow statistics cookies store a unique user ID. Elementor places anonymous statistics cookies to track performed actions. The policy also lists numerous miscellaneous cookies with pending investigation for purposes and data sharing.
Consent and User Rights
When a user visits the website for the first time, a pop-up appears explaining the cookie categories. By clicking 'Save preferences', the user consents to the selected categories. Users can disable cookies via browser settings, but this may affect website functionality. The policy includes a section for managing consent, though it notes that the TCF vendor list is unavailable if JavaScript is disabled, such as on AMP pages.
The policy outlines user rights under UK GDPR, including the right to know why personal data is processed, access the data, rectify or delete it, revoke consent, transfer data to another controller, and object to processing. Users can exercise these rights by contacting the provided email address (mydata@ex.comwearemvi.com) or phone number (0208 150 8286). Complaints can be directed to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Contact Information
The website is operated by Tech City News, located at 124 City Road, London, England, EC1V 2NX, United Kingdom. The policy was synchronised with cookiedatabase.org on 13 May 2026, ensuring alignment with industry standards.
Background and Importance of Cookie Policies
Cookie policies have become a cornerstone of digital privacy since the implementation of the EU's ePrivacy Directive and GDPR. In the UK, after Brexit, the UK GDPR and PECR remain the primary legal frameworks governing cookies and similar technologies. Websites must provide clear and comprehensive information about the cookies they use, obtain valid consent for non-essential cookies, and offer users easy ways to manage their preferences. Failure to comply can result in significant fines from the ICO.
UK Tech News's updated policy reflects best practices by categorizing cookies, listing each cookie's name, expiration, and function, and explaining the legal basis for processing. The inclusion of third-party services such as Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn highlights the interconnected nature of modern web services and the importance of transparency in data sharing. The policy also addresses the use of social media plugins, which can transfer data to the United States, requiring users to be aware of potential data transfer issues.
For users, understanding cookie policies empowers them to control their online privacy. By reviewing the list of cookies and their purposes, users can decide which cookies to allow or block, thereby reducing tracking and targeted advertising if desired. The ability to withdraw consent at any time is a crucial aspect of user autonomy.
This updated Cookie Policy from UK Tech News serves as a model for transparency, providing detailed information that helps users make informed choices about their privacy while ensuring the website remains compliant with UK regulations.
Source: UKTN News