Cookie Policy


Last Updated August 1, 2022, v. 2.0

1.    Information About Our Use of Cookies

1.1.  Our website (this “Site”) uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our Site. This helps us provide you with an optimal experience when you browse our Site and also allows us to improve our Site. This Cookie Policy provides you with clear and comprehensive information about the cookies and similar technologies we use, and our purposes for using them.

1.2.   For further information about this policy, please contact privacy@gia.edu.

2.    Your Consent

2.1.    Websites that are accessible from particular parts of the European Union are required to obtain consent to using or storing cookies (or using similar technologies) on your computers or mobile device. By continuing to use our Site, you are agreeing to the placement of cookies on your computer by us and our third-party service providers. Please read this Cookie Policy carefully for details about why we use cookies and the information they collect from and about you.

2.2.   If you do not wish to accept cookies in connection with your use of this Site, you must stop using our Site, disable cookies via your browser settings (see Section 6. How to delete and Block Our Cookies) or disable cookies individually (see Section 9. What Cookies Do We Use On the Site?). Please note that disabling cookies will affect the functionality of our Site and may prevent you from being able to access certain features on our Site.

3.    Can I Withdraw My Consent?

3.1.    If you wish to withdraw your consent at any time, you will need to delete your cookies using your internet browser settings and disable cookies. Please note that disabling cookies will affect the functionality of our Site and may prevent you from being able to access certain features on our Site.

3.2.    For further information about deleting or blocking cookies, please visit About Cookies.org at https://www.aboutcookies.org/.

4.    What is a Cookie?

4.1.    A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer.

5.    Key Concepts

5.1.    First and third-party cookies: whether a cookie is 'first,’ or 'third' party refers to the domain placing the cookie.

5.1.1.    First party cookies are those set by a website that is being visited by the user at the time (e.g., cookies placed by GIA.edu and 4Cs.GIA.edu).

5.1.2.    Third party cookies are cookies that are set by a domain other than that of the website being visited by the user. If a user visits a website and another entity sets a cookie through that website, this would be a third-party cookie.

5.2.    Persistent cookies: these cookies remain on a user’s device for the period of time specified in the cookie. They are activated each time that the user visits the website that created that particular cookie.

5.3.    Session cookies: these cookies allow website operators to link the actions of a user during a browser session. A browser session starts when a user opens the browser window and finishes when they close the browser window. Session cookies are created temporarily. Once you close the browser, all session cookies are deleted.Session cookies: these cookies allow website operators to link the actions of a user during a browser session. A browser session starts when a user opens the browser window and finishes when they close the browser window. Session cookies are created temporarily. Once you close the browser, all session cookies are deleted.

6.    How to Delete and Block Our Cookies

You block cookies by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies. However, if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including essential cookies), you may not be able to access all or parts of our Site.

6.1.    Changing your cookie settings. Please note that internet browsers allow you to change your cookie settings. These settings are usually found in the 'options' or 'preferences' menu of your internet browser. In order to understand these settings, the following links may be helpful. Otherwise, you should use the 'Help' option in your internet browser for more details.

•    Cookie settings in Internet Explorer
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17442/windows-internet-explorer-delete-manage-cookies
•    Cookie settings in Firefox
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/cookies-information-websites-store-on-your-computer?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=Cookies
•    Cookie settings in Chrome
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647
•    Cookie settings in Safari
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201265

7.    What Cookies Do We Use and Why?

Generally, our Site uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our Site. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our Site and also allows us to improve our Site.

7.1.   The cookies we may use on our Site are categorized as follows:

  • Strictly Necessary
  • Performance
  • Functionality
  • Targeting

7.2.    'Strictly Necessary' cookies let you move around the Site and use essential features like secure areas and shopping baskets. Without these cookies, we cannot provide the requested services.

7.2.1.    We use these Strictly Necessary cookies for such purposes as:

  • To identify you as being logged in to our Site and to authenticate you
  • To identify which server you are communicating with
  • To allow server to deliver personalized experience on the website or application
  • To track session status and calculate session idle time
  • To make sure you connect to the right service on our Site when we make any changes to the way the Site works
  • For security purposes

7.2.2.    You accept the use of Strictly Necessary cookies. Accepting these cookies is a condition of using the Site, so if you prevent these cookies, we cannot guarantee how Site or the security on our Site will perform during your visit.

7.3.    'Performance' cookies collect information about how you use our Site (e.g., which pages you visit, and if you experience any errors). These cookies are only used to help us improve how our Site works, understand what interests our users and measure the effectiveness of our advertising.

7.3.1.    We use Performance cookies for such purposes as:

  • To carry out web analytics: Provide statistics on how our Site is used
  • To perform affiliate tracking: Provide feedback to affiliated entities that one of our visitors also visited their Site
  • To obtain data on the number of users of the Site that have viewed a product
  • To help us improve the Site by measuring any errors that occur
  • To test different designs for the Site

7.3.2.    Some of our performance cookies are managed for us by third parties. We do not allow the third party to use the cookies for any purpose other than those listed above.

7.3.3.    You accept the use of Performance cookies. Accepting these cookies is a condition of using the Site, so if you prevent them, we cannot guarantee how our Site will perform for you.

7.4.    'Functionality' cookies are used to provide services or to remember settings to improve your visit.

7.4.1.    We use Functionality cookies for such purposes as:

  • To remember settings you have applied such as layout, text size, preferences and colors
  • To remember if we have already asked you if you want to fill in a survey
  • To remember if you have engaged with a particular component or product list on the Site so that it does not show it again
  • To show you when you are logged in to the Site
  • To provide and show embedded video content

7.4.2.    Some of these cookies are managed for us by third parties. We do not allow the third party to use the cookies for any purpose other than those listed above.

7.4.3.    You accept the use of Functionality cookies. Accepting these cookies is a condition of using the Site, so if you prevent these cookies, we cannot guarantee how Site or the security on our Site will perform during your visit.

7.5.   'Targeting' cookies are used to track your visit to our Site and other websites, including the pages you have visited and the links you have followed, which allows third parties to display targeted ads to you on the websites you visit.

7.5.1.   We and our third-party service providers may use Targeting cookies for such purposes as:

  • To link to social networks, like Facebook, which may subsequently use information about your visit to our website in order to provide advertising or other offers that may be of interest to you when you visit other websites.
  • To provide third parties with information on your visit so that they can present you with advertisements or other offers that may be of interest to you.

7.5.2.    You accept the use of Targeting cookies.

7.5.3.   If you are in the EU, you may opt out of certain third party cookies that we and other websites may use for targeting through the Internet Advertising Bureau at http://www.youronlinechoices.eu/ or the Digital Advertising Alliance (“DAA”) at http://www.aboutads.info/. Opting out of one or more ad networks only means that those particular members no longer will deliver targeted content or ads to you. It does not mean you will no longer receive any targeted content or ads on our websites or other third-party websites. If your browser is configured to reject cookies when you visit one of the above referenced opt-out pages, and you later erase your cookies, use a different computer or change web browsers, your preference may no longer be active. Since all of these cookies are managed by third parties, you should refer to the third parties' own website privacy notifications and policies for further information (see below for more information about the particular Targeting cookies used on our Site).

7.5.4.   For more information about Targeting cookies (if any) that we use on this Site, please see below.

8.    More Information About Cookies

8.1.    All About Cookies

•    Useful information about cookies can be found at:
http://www.allaboutcookies.org/

8.2.    Internet Advertising Bureau

•    A guide to behavioral advertising and online privacy has been produced by the internet advertising industry which can be found at:
http://www.youronlinechoices.eu/

8.3.    International Chamber of Commerce United Kingdom

•    Information on the ICC (UK) UK cookie guide can be found on the ICC website section:
http://www.international-chamber.co.uk/our-expertise/digitaleconomy

9.    What Cookies Do We Use On the Site?

10.    Additional Information About Third Party Analytics and Ad Networks on Site

10.1.    Google Analytics: For more information about Google Analytics cookies, please see Google's help pages and privacy policy:

•    Google's Privacy Policy
https://policies.google.com/privacy
•    Google Analytics Help pages
https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/analyticsjs/cookie-usage

10.2.    Google has developed the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on for the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js, dc.js). If you want to opt out of Google Analytics, you can download and install the add-on for your web browser at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

10.3.    Google Analytics is a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google uses cookies to help us analyze how users use the Site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the Site (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. In case of activation of the IP anonymization, Google will truncate/anonymize the last octet of the IP address for Member States of the European Union as well as for other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases, the full IP address is sent to and shortened by Google servers in the USA. On behalf of the Site provider Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the Site, compiling reports on Site activity for Site operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage to the website provider. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of these cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser as discussed in this notice. However, please note that if you do this, you may not be able to use the full functionality of this Site. Furthermore, you can prevent Google’s collection and use of data (cookies and IP address) by downloading and installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on available at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

10.4.    Further information concerning the terms and conditions of use and data privacy can be found at http://www.google.com/analytics/terms/ or at https://policies.google.com/.

10.5.    Please note that on this Site, Google Analytics code is supplemented by “gat._anonymizeIp();” to ensure an anonymized collection of IP addresses (so called IP-masking).