Effective Date: November 24, 2021
Introduction
Ashley Madison is committed to protecting your privacy. We aim to provide trustworthy, industry-leading services, so that you can focus on building meaningful connections.
This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, what types of cookies are placed on your device when you visit our website, and how we use these cookies. We hope that this policy helps you understand, and feel more confident about, our use of cookies. This Cookie Policy does not address how we deal with your personal information generally. To learn more about how we collect, use and disclose your personal information, please see our Privacy Policy.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are stored by your browser onto your computer or mobile device. They are widely used in order to make websites work or work in a better, more efficient way. They can do this because websites can read and write these files, enabling them to recognize you and remember important information that will make your use of a website more convenient (e.g., by remembering your user preferences). Please note, however, that cookies cannot retrieve any personal data from your hard drive or pass along computer viruses.
You can decide to disable your cookies but please be aware that certain cookies are absolutely necessary to let you do everything you want to on our website. Disabling some other cookies will, however, have little impact on your experience but there may be some limitations – for example, you won’t be able to share content. It may also affect your experience on other websites. For more information on the different types of cookies we use, please see the detailed information below.
What types of cookies are there?
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features, such as accessing secure areas of the website. Without these cookies, services you have asked for, like shopping baskets or e-billing, cannot be provided.
Performance Cookies
These cookies collect information about how visitors use a website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often, and if they get error messages from web pages. These cookies don’t collect information that identifies a visitor. All the information these cookies collect is aggregated and, therefore, anonymous. It only is used to improve how a website works.
One of the analytics tools that our website uses is Google Analytics, to learn more about Google Analytics, you can visit www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/.
First-party and third-party cookies
There are first-party cookies and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are placed on your device directly by us. For example, we use first-party cookies to adapt our website to your browser’s language preferences and to better understand your use of our website.
Third-party cookies are placed on your device by our partners and service providers. For example, we may use automated devices and applications, such as Google Analytics (to opt out, go here), AppsFlyer (to opt out, go here), and Dynatrace to evaluate usage of our Platforms and the Services we provide. We use these tools to gather information about users to help us improve our Services, performance and user experiences.
Session and persistent cookies
There are session cookies and persistent cookies. Session cookies are temporary and only last until you close your browser. We use session cookies for a variety of reasons, including to learn more about your use of our website during one single browser session and to help you to use our website more efficiently. Persistent cookies have a longer lifespan and aren’t automatically deleted when you close your browser. These types of cookies are primarily used for analytical purposes, allowing your preferences or actions to be remembered next time you visit our site.
It is important to note that some cookies (including some persistent cookies) may be created by your web browser, rather than by us, so you would need to deal with your web browser’s settings to prevent or delete those, as we would have no control over them.
What about other tracking technologies, like web beacons?
Other technologies, such as web beacons (also called web bugs, pixel tags or clear gifs), tracking URLs or software development kits (SDKs), are used for similar purposes. Web beacons are tiny graphics files that contain a unique identifier that enable us to recognize when someone has visited our service or opened an e-mail that we have sent them. Tracking URLs are custom-generated links that help us understand where the traffic to our webpages initiates. SDKs are small pieces of code included in apps, which function like cookies and web beacons.
For simplicity, we also refer to these technologies as “cookies” in this Cookie Policy.
What do we use cookies for?
When you visit our website, some or all of the following types of cookies may be set on your device.
| Cookie type | Description |
|---|---|
| Preferences, Features and Services Cookies | These cookies allow our website to remember information that changes the way the site behaves or looks, such as your preferred language or the region where you are located. Loss of the information stored in a preference cookie may make the website experience less functional but should not prevent it from working. |
| Performance, Analytics and Research Cookies | These cookies collect anonymous information about how visitors use a website, for instance which pages visitors visit most often, in order to provide a better user experience. These cookies do not personally identify individual visitors. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and anonymous. We use these cookies to provide statistics on how our websites are used and measure the delivery and performance of our advertising campaigns. These cookies could be permanent or temporary cookies, first-party or third-party cookies. In short, these cookies collect anonymous information on the pages visited. |
| Authentication Cookies | We use security cookies to authenticate users, prevent fraudulent use of login credentials, and protect user data from unauthorized parties. |
| Advertising Cookies | These cookies can be used to limit the number of times you see an offer as well as help manage the delivery of promotions. Advertising cookies also are used to make promotions more relevant to you. |
Like most providers of online services, we use cookies to provide, secure, and improve our services, including by remembering your preferences, recognizing you when you visit our website and personalizing and tailoring our offers to your interests.
Managing Cookies – how can you control or delete the cookies used on our websites?
You can control which cookies you get and which you keep on your device. Unless you have adjusted your browser settings so that it will refuse our cookies, our system will issue cookies when you visit our website.
Many web browsers can be set up to ask for your prior consent before an individual cookie is set on your device. This will give you control over your cookies but naturally may interfere with your browsing experience; e.g., if you have to accept each cookie on our website (and on other websites you visit).
You may refuse to accept our cookies on your device at any time by activating the setting on your browser which allows you to refuse cookies. We have included links below to direct you to the pages of the main web browser sites which provide details about changing your browser settings. For information on how to control cookies on web browsers which are not included below, or on other devices which you use to view our website (such as on mobile phones and other mobile devices), please refer to your computer’s or mobile device’s user manual.
Please note that, by deleting cookies or disabling future cookies, you may be unable to access certain areas or features of our website and it will mean that settings such as language preference may have to be reset. If you adjust your cookie settings, this also will affect the other websites you visit.
All of the major browsers offer tips and guidance for managing the cookies available on your browser, including:
Cookie settings in Safari for iOS
Cookie settings in Safari for Mountain Lion
Cookie settings in Firefox
Cookie settings in Internet Explorer
Cookie settings in Microsoft Edge
Cookie settings in Chrome
Guide to Disabling Cookies using Web Browsers
| Browser Type | Instructions on how to disable Cookies |
|---|---|
| Safari | Go to the Safari menu. Click on “Preferences.” Click on “Security.” Under “Accept Cookies,” set it to accept, reject, or selectively accept Cookies. |
| Firefox 3.0+ | Click on “Tools” in the menu bar. Click on “Options.” Click on the “Privacy” tab in the top section. From the dropdown box, select “Use custom setting for history.” Un-tick the box that says “Accept Cookies from sites.” Click OK and close the screen. |
| Internet Explorer 7.0+ | Click on “Tools” in the menu bar. Click on “Internet Options.” Click on the “Privacy” tab in the top section. Click on the “Advanced” button. Select “Accept”, “Block” or “Prompt” for first-party cookies and/or third-party cookies. Click “OK” and close the screen. |
| Microsoft Edge | Click on the three-dot “Settings and more” button on the top right. Select “Settings.” Click on “Site permissions.” Click on “Cookies and site data.” Select from the options offered. |
| Google Chrome 8.0+ | Click to the “Tools” menu. Click on “Options.” Click on “Under the Bonnet.” Click on “Cookie Setting” button and tick “Block all third-party cookies without exception.” Close the screen. |
There also are lots of different third-party browser plugins and extensions available which you can download to make it easier to see and control your cookies.
You can find out more information about Internet advertising by visiting the following information websites:
www.allaboutcookies.org
www.yourchoicesonline.eu
www.networkadvertising.org
Some of these sites enable you to opt out of online behavioural advertising and other tracking cookies (i.e., in addition to the control settings on your browser).
This site may contain links or references to other websites. Please be aware that we do not control the cookies/tracking technologies of other websites and this Cookie Policy does not apply to such websites.
How to contact us?
If you have questions, comments or concerns about this Cookie Policy or the information practices of this site, please contact us as follows:
If you live in the United States or Canada:
Email: support@ashleymadison.com
Post: Ruby Life Inc., PO Box 67027, Toronto, ON, Canada M4P 1E4
If you live elsewhere:
Email: support@ashleymadison.com
Post: Ruby Life International Limited, PO Box 54090, 3720 Limassol, Cyprus
Changes to this Cookie Policy
If this Cookie Policy is changed, the revised policy will be posted on this site, so that you can be aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances we disclose it.
Precedence of English Version of this Cookie Policy
The official text of this Cookie Policy shall be in the English language, and any translation, interpretation or construction of this Cookie Policy shall be based thereon. If any documents or notices relating to this Cookie Policy are translated into another language, the English version shall be controlling in the event of any discrepancy between the two (except to the extent that the law in your jurisdiction forbids this provision).