Cookie Policy

1. What Cookies Are

Cookies are small files a website stores in your browser. Similar technologies, such as browser storage, work the same way. This policy covers both, and explains how you choose which ones ESPODIUM may use.

2. How We Ask for Your Choice

• Outside the European Economic Area, the UK and Switzerland, a banner asks you on your first visit. Until you choose Accept, we use only essential and functional cookies, and no analytics or advertising cookies.
• In the European Economic Area, the UK and Switzerland, Google's consent message asks you instead, as Google requires of sites that show its ads there.
• Your choice is kept in your browser for one year, then we ask again.

3. Essential Cookies

These keep the site working and secure, so they cannot be switched off.

• sb-…-auth-token: keeps you signed in.
• user_profile: a copy of your basic profile so pages load faster while you are signed in (7 days).
• espodium_consent: remembers your cookie choice (1 year).
• espodium_terms_ack: remembers that you agreed to the Terms while signing up (7 days).
• __cf_bm: set by Cloudflare to tell people from bots and protect the site (30 minutes).
• espodium_view_as: lets ESPODIUM staff see the site as the user they are helping (staff only).
• cf_clearance: set by Cloudflare after a security check, so you are not asked again.

4. Functional Cookies and Storage

These remember settings you choose. They never leave ESPODIUM and are not used for advertising.

• espodium_site_ctx: your language and game (about 13 months).
• espodium_locale_hint: a first guess at your language from your country (1 day).
• espodium_locale_choice and espodium_preferred_locale: the language you picked.
• espodium_active_organizer_id: the organizer you are managing, for organizers.
• espo_feed and espodium_feed_layout: how you like the feed shown.
• Browser storage for display settings, such as your theme, dismissed prompts and bracket views, and an anonymous ID that counts each feed post view once.

5. Analytics Cookies

_ga and _ga_… from Google Analytics tell us which pages are used, so we can improve ESPODIUM. They are set only after you choose Accept, and last up to 2 years. Choosing Only essential removes them.

6. Advertising Cookies

Google AdSense shows ads on ESPODIUM. After you choose Accept, Google may use cookies such as __gads, __gpi and __eoi to personalise ads and measure them. Without your consent, Google shows ads that are not personalised.

Ads that are not personalised still use cookies, such as IDE from Google's doubleclick.net, to limit how often you see an ad, count the ads shown and stop fraud. Google's consent and messaging tools keep their state in FCCDCF and FCNEC. Google's own cookies can be removed in your browser settings.

7. Changing Your Choice

Use Cookie settings at the bottom of any page, or in the More menu on your phone, to change your choice at any time. You can also delete cookies in your browser settings, but you will be signed out and some settings will reset.

8. More Information

Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle your personal data. For questions, contact us through the Contact Us page.