Cookie Policy
Introduction
match.com aims to provide an exemplary service that members can be proud of and enjoy fully. Importantly, we have to do this within the confines of the law. The law requires us to provide you with certain information regarding cookies. This Cookie Policy lets you know what cookies are, what types of cookies are placed on your computer or other device when you visit our site and what they are used for.
What are cookies?
A cookie is a small text file placed by an online provider (such as match.com) on the computer or other device of visitors to their website. Cookies can collect information about visitor's habits in using that website through logging the activity of their computer or other device with respect to the site, for example when it comes to shopping.
match.com primarily uses cookies to run the match.com website, and to gather data to enable the improvement of the service we offer to you. Through the cookies generated when you visit our site alone, we cannot identify you as an individual.
Personal information
This Cookie Policy does not address how we deal with your personal information. On how we deal with your personal information please see our Privacy Policy for more details.
Types of cookies
When you visit our site four types of cookies may be placed upon your computer or other device. These are: First-party, Third-party, Session and Persistent cookies.
- First-party cookies
First-party cookies are cookies placed on your computer or other device directly by us. They could include cookies such as session and persistent cookies (explained below). We use first party cookies to track the movement of your computer or other device through our site, for marketing and analytics purposes, for example.
- Third-party cookies
Third-party cookies are cookies placed on your computer or device by our commercial partners. Again, they could include cookies such as session and persistent cookies (explained below). Our commercial partners use third party cookies for targeting purposes, for example to enable adverts that they feel best match your interests to be chosen and transmitted to your computer or other device, based upon the previous activities of your computer or other device upon the internet.
- Session Cookies
The time between when you open your internet browser and close your browser is called a browser session. Session cookies are cookies that are placed onto your computer or other device during a browser session, but which expire and are normally deleted at the end of a browser session. We and our commercial partners use session cookies for various reasons, including to track use of our site during a single browser session, and to help you to use our site more efficiently. For example, session cookies are used to remind our site that your computer or device is logged into our site.
- Persistent cookies
Persistent cookies are cookies which are placed upon your computer or other device during a browser session, but which remain upon your computer or other device after the end of that browser session. Persistent cookies allow our site to recognise your computer or other device when it is used to access our site again after a browser session has been completed and a new browser session has begun, primarily to help you quickly sign-in to our site again. Persistent cookie are also used, both by ourselves and our commercial partners, for analytical purposes. Persistent cookies remain current for defined periods of time. Typically persistent cookies placed upon your computer or other device when you visit our site remain current from 1 day to 5 years.
We provide below more detailed information on the cookies placed upon your computer or other device when you visit our site.
What do we use cookies for?
To further aid your understanding of the cookies employed with respect to our site we have created this table. The table lists the different types of cookies placed upon your computer or device when you visit our site and what they are used for:
| Cookie Type | Cookie Name | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| First-party Session Cookie | Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Keywords | This allows us to know which search engine keywords drive traffic to match.com. |
| First-party Session Cookie | STCK_ID | This allows us to chart your computer or device’s progress across our site when you initially sign-up to our services. |
| First-party Session Cookie | Code Operation | This provides us with useful marketing statistics such as the time spent on our site, your frequency of logging in and out for example. We use this data internally to improve the services we offer to you. |
| First-party Persistent Cookie | Last Account ID | This enables us to link your computer or device to your username therefore speeding up your login process. |
| First-party Persistent Cookie | UID | This allows us to count the number of pages you have clicked on when visiting our site. |
| First-party Persistent Cookie | U2 | This collects information about your general interaction with our website for example, the pages you visit most frequently and your navigation through our website. |
| Third-party Persistent Cookie | ID | This is placed upon your computer or device by our commercial partner DoubleClick who track advertising through the Google Display Network. |
| Third-party Persistent Cookie | MC | This channels data to our commercial partner Quantcast which allows them to improve the relevance of our advertising to visitors of our website. |
| Third-party Persistent Cookie | MC | This channels data to our commercial partner Quantcast which allows them to improve the relevance of our advertising to visitors of our website. |
| Third-party Persistent Cookie | Crwdcntrl.net | Lotame our commercial partner use this to provide us with data that improves the relevance of our advertising; just like Quantcast do. |
Your rights
We need your consent for cookies to be placed on your computer or device. We obtain this consent when you subscribe to our services, on a free or paid for basis. Should you wish to withdraw that consent you can do so by terminating your subscription by following the instructions found on your "My Account" page.
How do I turn off cookies?
You can block the placing of cookies on your computer or other device through changing the settings in your browser, by simply following the instructions given by your web browser or device provider. However, please do note that in doing so your enjoyment of match.com may be severely restricted and you may in fact find that you are unable to use match.com.
Questions?
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us