What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that get stored on your device when you visit websites. They help websites remember things about your visit – like your preferences or login status. Most websites use them because they make the browsing experience smoother and more personal.

Think of cookies as helpful notes. When you return to a site, these notes remind the website who you are and what you were doing. Some cookies disappear when you close your browser (session cookies), while others stick around for future visits (persistent cookies).

How sontheriq Uses Tracking Technologies

We use several types of tracking tools on sontheriq.com to improve your experience and understand how people interact with our financial negotiation resources. Here's what we're actually tracking and why it matters:

Specific Technologies We Use

Beyond standard cookies, we also use these tracking methods:

• Web Beacons: Tiny graphics (sometimes called pixel tags) that help us count visitors and understand traffic patterns across our educational content.
• Local Storage: A way to store data in your browser that helps load pages faster and remember your preferences across sessions.
• Session Storage: Similar to local storage but temporary – it's cleared when you close your browser tab.
• Log Files: Standard server logs that record technical information like IP addresses, browser types, and page request times for security and performance monitoring.

Cookie Lifespan and Retention

Different cookies stick around for different lengths of time. Here's what you need to know:

We review our cookie usage regularly and delete data we no longer need. If you clear your browser cookies, you'll need to reset your preferences next time you visit.

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

Browser Controls

Every modern browser gives you control over cookies. You can usually find these settings in the privacy or security section of your browser preferences. Here's what you can typically do:

• Block all cookies (though this might break some website functionality)
• Delete existing cookies stored on your device
• Allow cookies only from sites you visit directly (blocking third-party cookies)
• Set cookies to be deleted automatically when you close your browser
• Create exceptions for specific websites

Mobile Devices

If you're accessing sontheriq.com from a smartphone or tablet, you can manage cookies through your device settings. iOS and Android both have privacy controls that let you limit tracking across apps and websites. Look for "Privacy" or "Safari" (iOS) or "Chrome" (Android) in your settings.

Third-Party Services

We work with a few trusted service providers who help us run sontheriq.com effectively. These partners may place their own cookies when you visit our site:

Analytics Providers: We use analytics services to understand how people use our site. These services collect data about page views, time spent on pages, and navigation patterns. The information is anonymised and helps us improve our educational content.

Content Delivery Networks: To make our site load faster, we use CDNs that may set performance cookies. These help deliver content efficiently, especially for users across different parts of Australia.

Each third-party service operates under its own privacy policy. While we choose partners carefully, you should review their policies if you want to understand exactly how they handle data.

Changes to This Policy

We update this cookie policy occasionally to reflect changes in how we use tracking technologies or respond to new regulations. When we make significant changes, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.

If we introduce new types of tracking that significantly affect your privacy, we'll notify you through a prominent notice on sontheriq.com before the changes take effect. We encourage you to check this page periodically, especially if you have specific concerns about data collection.

Your Rights and Data Protection

Under Australian privacy legislation, you have rights regarding your personal information. While cookies don't always contain personal data, when they do, you can:

• Request access to any personal information we've collected through tracking technologies
• Ask us to correct inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Withdraw consent for non-essential tracking at any time
• Lodge a complaint with the Australian Information Commissioner if you believe we've mishandled your data

We take your privacy seriously and will respond to any requests within the timeframes required by Australian law.