Cookie Policy

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. Cookies allow websites to function efficiently, improve user experience, and provide information to website owners.

Cookies can be:
- Session cookies, which expire when you close your browser
- Persistent cookies, which remain on your device for a defined period

Similar technologies include pixels, tags, scripts, and local storage.

2. Why We Use Cookies?

We use cookies to:
- Ensure the website functions properly
- Improve website performance and usability
- Understand how readers interact with our content
- Measure the effectiveness of our journalism and outreach
- Improve relevance of editorial distribution and engagement

3. Categories of Cookies We Use

A. Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the operation of our website and cannot be disabled in our systems.

They are used to:
- Enable core website functionality
- Maintain security and stability
- Manage basic user preferences

Legal basis: Legitimate Interest (GDPR Article 6(1)(f))

B. Analytics and Performance Cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors use our website by collecting aggregated and anonymized information.

We use:
- Google Analytics
- Microsoft Clarity

Data collected may include:
- Pages visited
- Time spent on pages
- Interaction patterns (scrolls, clicks, navigation)
- Approximate geographic location (country level)

These cookies are used only after you provide consent where required by law.

Legal basis: Consent (GDPR Article 6(1)(a))

C. Marketing and Tracking Cookies

These cookies track user behaviour across websites to measure engagement and improve the relevance of our content and campaigns.

We use:
- Meta Pixel

Marketing cookies may track:
- Visits to specific pages
- Content interactions
- Conversions and engagement metrics

These cookies are set only with your explicit consent.

Legal basis: Consent (GDPR Article 6(1)(a))

4. Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies are placed by third-party service providers. These providers may process personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

We ensure appropriate safeguards, including:
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)
- Data processing agreements with providers

For more information, please review the privacy policies of:
- Google
- Microsoft
- Meta

5. Cookie Consent Mechanism

When you first visit our website, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner that allows you to:
- Accept all cookies
- Reject non-essential cookies
- Manage cookie preferences by category

No non-essential cookies are set before consent is obtained.

6. Managing and Withdrawing Consent

You may withdraw or modify your cookie consent at any time by:
- Using the cookie settings link on our website
- Adjusting your browser settings

Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

7. Managing Cookies Through Your Browser

Most web browsers allow you to:
- View stored cookies
- Delete cookies
- Block all or specific cookies

Instructions can usually be found in your browser's help section.

8. Data Retention

Cookies are stored for different durations depending on their purpose:
- Session cookies are deleted when the browser is closed
- Persistent cookies remain for a specified period or until deleted

Analytics and marketing cookies follow the retention periods defined by their providers.

9. Children's Privacy

Our website is not intended for children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly set cookies to track children.

10. Updates to This Cookies Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect legal, technical, or operational changes. The latest version will always be available on our website.

11. Contact Information

If you have questions about our use of cookies or this Cookies Policy, please contact:

PALK PUBLISHING (PVT) LTD
Publisher of The North-Eastern