The website uktech.news, a leading UK technology news platform, has published an updated Cookie Policy effective June 4, 2025. This policy applies to all citizens and legal permanent residents of the United Kingdom and replaces any previous versions. The update reflects the site's ongoing commitment to transparency and compliance with UK data protection laws, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

Understanding Cookies and Their Purpose

Cookies are small text files stored on a user's device when they visit a website. They serve a variety of functions, from enabling basic site functionality to tracking user behavior for advertising purposes. The new policy breaks down the different types of cookies used on uktech.news, ensuring users understand exactly what data is collected and why.

Technical or Functional Cookies

These cookies are essential for the website to operate correctly. They remember user preferences, keep items in a shopping cart during a session, and ensure that forms submit properly. Under the policy, uktech.news may place these cookies without seeking explicit consent, as they are necessary for the site to function. Examples include session cookies that maintain login status and load balancing cookies that distribute traffic across servers.

Statistics Cookies

Statistics cookies help the website owners understand how visitors interact with the site. They collect anonymized data such as page views, time spent on pages, and navigation paths. The policy notes that uktech.news asks for user permission before placing statistics cookies, which are used to optimize the user experience. Third-party services like Google Analytics (with cookies such as _ga, _gid, and _ga_ that store and count pageviews) and Hotjar (with _hjSessionUser_ and _hjSession_ for heatmaps and session recordings) are employed for this purpose.

Advertising and Marketing/Tracking Cookies

A significant portion of the policy is dedicated to advertising and marketing cookies. These cookies build user profiles based on browsing history to deliver personalized advertisements. The policy states that uktech.news uses these cookies to tailor ads to individual interests and to measure campaign effectiveness. Examples include Facebook's _fbp and fr cookies, LinkedIn's lms_ads and li_sugr, and Google Ads' ads/ga-audiences. Each of these cookies may track users across external sites and devices. The policy emphasizes that explicit consent is required for these tracking cookies, in line with the TCF (Transparency and Consent Framework) and GDPR requirements.

Social Media Integration

Uktech.news integrates social media buttons and content from Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter). These features place third-party cookies that may store and process personal data for personalized advertising. For example, Facebook uses fbm and xs cookies to store account details and session IDs, while LinkedIn uses bcookie and lidc for browser details and load balancing. Users are informed that these third parties are based in the United States, meaning data may be transferred internationally under appropriate safeguards.

Third-Party Services and Their Cookies

The policy provides a detailed inventory of third-party services that place cookies on the site. These include:

• Google Various Services: Uses cookies like google_auto_fc_cmp_setting (persistent, for consent preferences) and __gpi (marketing).
• CloudFlare: Provides a content delivery network (CDN) and uses cookies such as __cf_bm (30 minutes) for bot filtering.
• Criteo: A remarketing service that uses cto_bundle (13 months) for cross-page functions.
• Complianz: A cookie consent management platform that stores user consent choices in cookies like cmplz_marketing and cmplz_statistics, each with a 365-day expiration.
• One Signal: For push notifications, using cookies like isPushNotificationsEnabled and onesignal-pageview-count.
• Google reCAPTCHA: Uses _grecaptcha (6 months) and rc::a, rc::b, rc::c (session to persistent) for spam prevention.
• WordPress: Functional cookies such as wordpress_test_cookie and wp-settings- for storing user preferences.
• Stripe: For payment processing, using __stripe_mid (1 year) for fraud prevention.
• HubSpot: Marketing automation with cookies like __hstc (13 months) and hubspotutk (13 months) for visitor identification.
• Hotjar: For heatmaps and screen recordings, using _hjSessionUser_ (1 year) and _hjSession_ (session).
• Facebook: Marketing and functional cookies including _fbp (3 months) for tracking visits, and wd (1 week) for screen resolution.
• Google Fonts: Uses Google Fonts API (immediate expiration) to read user IP addresses for serving webfonts.
• Twitter: Functional cookies like local_storage_support_test (persistent) for load balancing, and marketing cookies like metrics_token (persistent).
• LinkedIn: A mix of functional, marketing, statistics, and preferences cookies. For example, li_gc (6 months) stores consent preferences, while UserMatchHistory (30 days) provides ad retargeting.
• Google Ads Optimization: Uses 1p_jar (1 month) for ad delivery.
• Google Ads: Uses ads/ga-audiences (immediate expiration) for remarketing.
• Snowplow: For website statistics, using _sp_id (2 years) to store a unique user ID.
• Elementor: Uses the elementor cookie (persistent) to store actions performed on the site for anonymous statistics.
• Miscellaneous: Several cookies with purposes pending investigation, such as __gads, _ccmdt, and ev_did.

Consent Management and User Rights

Upon first visit, uktech.news displays a pop-up explaining cookies. Users can click "Save preferences" to accept selected categories. The policy also supports the TCF framework, allowing users to manage consent per purpose (e.g., statistics, marketing) and to object to legitimate interest claims. For users on AMP pages, a manage consent button is available. The policy details that if JavaScript is disabled, the vendor list may not be fully functional.

How to Enable, Disable, or Delete Cookies

Users can control cookies through their browser settings. Most browsers allow automatic or manual deletion, and users can set alerts before a cookie is placed. The policy warns that disabling all cookies may affect website functionality. If cookies are deleted after consent, they will be re-placed upon a subsequent visit if consent is given again.

Your Rights Under UK Data Protection Law

The policy outlines user rights regarding personal data, including the right to know why data is processed, right of access, right to rectification, right to withdraw consent, right to data portability, and right to object. To exercise these rights, users can contact the website via the provided email (mydata@ex.comwearemvi.com) or phone (0208 150 8286). The policy also notes that complaints can be filed with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Contact Details

Uktech.news is operated by Tech City News, based at 124 City Road, London EC1V 2NX, United Kingdom. The contact email for data matters is mydata@ex.comwearemvi.com, and the phone number is 0208 150 8286. The policy was synchronized with cookiedatabase.org on July 1, 2026.

This cookie policy update comes at a time when UK data protection authorities are increasing scrutiny of digital advertising practices. By providing granular consent options and a comprehensive list of third-party cookies, uktech.news aims to balance user privacy with the operational needs of a digital publishing business. As the regulatory landscape evolves, transparency around data collection remains a cornerstone of user trust. The policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure continued compliance with UK and EU standards.

Source:UKTN News