UK Tech News, a leading technology news platform, has released a comprehensive update to its Cookie Policy, effective as of 4 June 2025. The policy applies to all visitors and citizens of the United Kingdom, detailing how the website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance user experience, deliver personalised advertising, and analyse traffic. This rewrite aims to provide greater transparency and align with evolving data protection regulations.
What Are Cookies and How Are They Used?
Cookies are small text files stored on a user's device when visiting a website. They serve various purposes, from remembering login details to tracking browsing habits for targeted advertising. The policy categorises cookies into several types: functional, statistical, advertising, marketing, and social media. Each category requires different levels of user consent, with functional cookies being placed automatically as they are essential for site operation.
Beyond cookies, the site also uses scripts and web beacons (pixel tags). Scripts enable interactive features and proper functioning, while web beacons monitor traffic and collect data invisibly. Together, these technologies create a detailed picture of user behaviour, which the platform leverages for both operational and commercial purposes.
Detailed Breakdown of Cookie Categories
Functional cookies ensure that the website works correctly and remember user preferences, such as items in a shopping cart or language settings. They do not require explicit consent. Statistics cookies, such as those from Google Analytics and Snowplow, help the platform understand how visitors interact with the site, allowing continuous optimisation. These require opt-in consent.
Advertising and marketing cookies are more intrusive. They build profiles based on browsing history across the web, enabling personalised ad delivery and frequency capping. Services like Criteo, Google Ads, and Facebook place such cookies. Marketing/tracking cookies are used to follow users across multiple sites for targeted campaigns. The policy also includes social media cookies from Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter), which are embedded for sharing and 'like' buttons. These third-party cookies can also collect data for their own advertising purposes.
Third-Party Services and Data Sharing
The updated policy lists dozens of third-party services that place cookies on UK Tech News. These range from cloud infrastructure providers like CloudFlare to analytics giants like Google Analytics and Hotjar. Marketing and remarketing services include Criteo, HubSpot, and Google Ads Optimization. Social media integration uses Facebook, LinkedIn, and X. Payment processing involves Stripe, while push notifications are handled by One Signal. Each service has its own privacy policy governing how data is stored and shared.
Notable cookies with extended durations include __hstc from HubSpot (13 months), cto_bundle from Criteo (13 months), and _ga from Google Analytics (2 years). Some cookies, like those from Google Fonts, expire immediately after page load and only capture the user's IP address. Many cookies are classified as “purpose pending investigation,” meaning their exact function is still under review by the platform.
Consent Management and User Control
Upon first visit, users see a pop-up banner where they can choose which cookie categories to allow. Consent is recorded using the Complianz framework, which stores preferences in cookies like cmplz_consented_services and cmplz_marketing. Users can later modify their choices through the manage consent button. For AMP pages, consent is handled via a dedicated interface at the bottom. The policy also references the TCF (Transparency and Consent Framework) vendor list, though it notes this is unavailable when JavaScript is disabled.
Users have the right to withdraw consent at any time, which will stop non-essential cookies from being placed. However, disabling all cookies may impair site functionality, such as the ability to log in or use the shopping cart. The policy provides instructions for manually deleting cookies through browser settings.
User Rights Under UK Data Protection Law
In line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the policy outlines several rights for users. These include the right to know why personal data is collected, how it will be used, and how long it will be retained. Users can request access to their data, have it corrected or deleted, and object to processing based on legitimate interest. They also have the right to data portability, allowing them to transfer their information to another controller.
To exercise these rights, users can contact UK Tech News at the provided email or address. The policy advises that complaints can be escalated to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection authority. The platform also commits to maintaining a cookie database synchronised with cookiedatabase.org, last updated on 22 July 2026.
For further details, readers are encouraged to review the full Cookie Policy on the UK Tech News website, which includes an exhaustive list of every cookie name, expiration period, and function. The policy reflects the platform's ongoing effort to balance robust data collection for business insights with stringent user privacy protections in the digital age.
Source:UKTN News