What are cookies?
Many of the websites you view place small text files on your computer. This enables the site to recognise your computer each time you visit. We call these text files ‘cookies’.
What do cookies do?
There are three types of cookie.
1. Essential cookies
Certain cookies are essential for saving settings or preferences during your visit or until your next visit to a website. If you decline cookies from a particular website, the site will ‘remember’ your preference by placing an essential cookie. Without this, you would have to answer the same questions each time you visit.
2. Tracking cookies
Some cookies inform the website which pages you are viewing, in what order, and for how long. Using this information, the website can compile statistics that will help it adapt to its visitors’ wishes. Such cookies are similar to those used for conducting online surveys.
3. Third-party cookies
Some websites contain cookies from third-party websites. When placed on your computer, they automatically activate handy extras, like Google Maps (with interactive route description), a Facebook ‘like’ button, or a Twitter messaging option. These cookies inform the website you are viewing whether you are logged into Google, Facebook or Twitter.
No personal information
The cookies placed by portavita.com contain no personal information. They cannot be used to identify you. This would require a combination of type-3 cookies and your login details for third-party websites (which can often be traced to individuals). Without additional information, cookies cannot threaten your privacy.
Do you object to cookies?
When you view a page on portavita.com, you are asked whether you will accept cookies. The cookies referred to are types 2 and 3 (as described in ‘What do cookies do?’ above). If you fail to answer or select ‘No, I don’t accept these cookies’, portavita.com will place only type-1 cookies on your computer. You can always change your cookie preferences later.
Do you want to refuse all cookies? You can do so via your web browser settings. For more information about cookies and deactivating cookies, go to the website Waarschuwingsdienst.nl (in Dutch).
Cookies used by portavita.com
Below, we describe all the cookies used by portavita.com. They are listed under types 1, 2 and 3 (as described in ‘What do cookies do?’ above).
Essential cookies (type 1)
The following portavita.com cookies are essential for viewing the website:
| Name | Validity period | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| portavitaprivacycookie | 5 years | Remembers whether you accept type-2 and type-3 cookies. This cookie also contains a unique number to show that you have accepted it. |
| has_js | until the end of your visit | Remembers if webbrowser is capable of java script. |
If you refuse to accept type-1 cookies, the website will be difficult for you to use.
Tracking cookies (type 2)
Portavita.com collects information to compile anonymous statistics about visits to the website. To do so, it uses a tool called Google Analytics, made by Google. When processing this information, portavita.com adheres strictly to privacy legislation.
The website uses cookies and Java script codes to store information:
- Determine which domain to measure
- Distinguish unique users
- Remember the number and time of previous visits
- Remember traffic source information
- Determine the start and end of a session
- Remember the value of visitor-level custom variables
| Name | Validity period | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| _ga | 2 years from set/update | Used to distinguish users. |
| __utma | 2 years from set/update | Used to distinguish users and sessions. The cookie is created when the javascript library executes and no existing __utma cookies exists. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics. |
| __utmb | 30 mins from set/update | Used to determine new sessions/visits. The cookie is created when the javascript library executes and no existing __utmb cookies exists. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics. |
| __utmc | End of browser session | Not used in ga.js. Set for interoperability with urchin.js. Historically, this cookie operated in conjunction with the __utmb cookie to determine whether the user was in a new session/visit. |
| __utmz | 6 months from set/update | Stores the traffic source or campaign that explains how the user reached your site. The cookie is created when the javascript library executes and is updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics. |
| __utmv | 2 years from set/update | Used to store visitor-level custom variable data. This cookie is created when a developer uses the _setCustomVar method with a visitor level custom variable. This cookie was also used for the deprecated _setVar method. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics. |
Portavita.com occasionally conducts user surveys with the help of online questionnaires. The results make it possible to continue improving the website. Cookies are essential not only for saving information, but also for remembering whether you are willing to take part in such surveys. When processing this information, portavita.com adheres strictly to privacy legislation.
Currently no cookies are in use:
| Name | Validity period | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
If you refuse these cookies, your use of the website will not be affected.
Third-party cookies (type 3)
While viewing portavita.com, you may wish to use handy extras, like Google, Facebook or Twitter. If so, these websites will place a cookie on your computer. Portavita.com has no influence on what third parties do with their cookies.
You can refuse these cookies on portavita.com. If you do so, you will be unable to use these extra services. Your refusal will not affect your use of other websites.
